It’s worth noting that Carpenter, according to personnel sources, had as low as a third-round grade from other teams, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready to play at a high level as a rookie.
"As low as" a third-round grade? That could mean anything. It could mean that two teams gave him a third-round grade and all the rest gave him a first-round. Using vagueness to create an impression is slanted reporting. This particular statement reeks of bias, and is also uninformed; several other high-profile teams were looking at Carpenter in the late first round. I suppose national writers don't feel beholden to dig for their facts.
Moffitt will be expected to compete for a starting job right away. While veteran offensive lineman Stacy Andrews is projected to start at one of the guard spots, he’s listed with a base salary of $5.25 million for 2011, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be asked to take a pay cut.
This one should be forgiven, because Carroll's coy treatment of the words "competing" and "starting" make it tough to latch onto the team's intentions. But Andrews isn't really projected as a starter. He's been given lip service, but he was awful at guard in 2010 and, as Caplan points out, is a financial drain on the team. None of the stars are really lining up for him continuing at guard, or even on the team. If pattern holds, he will be asked to take a pay cut. Moffitt, for his part, has pretty much been confirmed as a starter by the statements of the wonderfully direct Tom Cable, and there's nobody else on this roster who can feasibly challenge him.
Outside linebacker wasn’t a major need...
Yes, it was. Having a #4 pick at the position does not automatically seal it, Adam.
...wide receiver wasn’t a huge need, but the Seahawks badly needed depth at the position.
Isn't this kind of contradictory? No depth means you have a need.
Besides, the first part's wrong anyway. There is no truly dangerous receiving threat on this roster. Mike Williams has been inconsistent and may have no higher a ceiling that a good #2 (though I have hopes). Brandon Stokley is a free agent as of now, and got left out of Caplan's "free agents of note" list entirely (how does that happen to the most productive free agent from the 2010 roster?). Deon Butler is recovering from a broken leg, and Golden Tate has serious questions about his NFL viability. That sounds like a unit with needs to me. Kris Durham was a big sleeper addition and one of the smartest picks in this draft.
I guess it takes real cynicism to waken me out of lockout hibernation. And I guess I should have let you faithful readers know about my hibernation before I hit the hay. Sorry about that. With optimism rising about an imminent settlement and a 2011 season being possible after all (I'd written it off), I might have reason to start writing again. Keep the faith!
Hey Brandon:
ReplyDeleteDon't worry too much about what some goober from Fox sports says. He might even have written the article at the request of Pete Carroll.
Let the rest of the league scoff at the Seahawks for 2011. The last time the rest of the league scoffed at the Seahawks was....just before we kicked the defending Super Bowl champ's asses in the playoffs.
Maybe the Fox guy is right. Maybe all of those teams shouldn't take the Hawks seriously.
While you were hibernating Pete said Tate is due for a break out season this year.
ReplyDeleteAs for Caplan, I'm putting an * on almost anything written during the lockout. Most writers were more concerned about transformers during the last one and w/o breaking news they had to pen for pennies.
Brandon, glad you are back.
ReplyDeleteIf you did an in depth look at everything Caplan writes, you would see this same vagueness with every team. He is a source free writer, and like Florio, he has a made a career out of speculating on league connections.
Caplan it seems, has a higher opinion of Moffitt than Carpenter. That is uninformed. Moffitt is the one likely to struggle, IMO. I think there is an excellent chance he ends up at center after struggling at guard.
Agree about LB and WR. Saying we are set at those positions is repeating something you heard, not looking at the roster.
The writer/pundit who I think has the best bead on the Seahawks roster is Pat Kirwan, and I thought that long before his Pete connection. He has been in the front office, and when I hear him break down a team's depth he is almost never off base.
Also he says Hawthorne is the starting SAM, whereas he is the WILL, and that Moffitt was a 2nd round pick, when he was a 3rd. Very poor.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was reading Bleacher Report and literally rechecked my address bar
ReplyDeleteNice to see you break down his grade like you did. At first "as low as a third rounder" may seem like a rip-off, but I think you're right about that analysis. I've heard a lot higher elsewhere too.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, WR was a definite need. After the debacle the past couple of years, 2010 was a huge improvement. That said, our receivers were still bad compared to the rest of the league, and that does indeed signify a need.
More fool those who gave Carpenter a third round grade.
ReplyDelete"several other high-profile teams were looking at Carpenter in the late first round"
ReplyDeleteIsnt this Vaguness
Nope, Green Bay and Pittsburgh were said to be amongst those teams.
ReplyDelete"Golden Tate has serious questions about his NFL viability."
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time judging players by their first year, a year that, saw horrible QB play, and non existent run game, and an offensive playcaller that only knew how to call plays that went verticle.
I loved the draft, because it focused on some of the massive holes that we have on our team (O-line and Secondary)
Glad you are back