Comments on: Hawks need a home run hitter

By: CamanoIslandJQ

CamanoIslandJQ — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:46:54 +0000

Another later round “sleeper” that has some potential to be a home run hitter and may be available at round 5 (137 overall) or possibly (but less likely) even for round 6 (178 overall) is:
Deon Butler, WR, Penn State
Deon Butler is part of possibly the best trio of wide receivers in the country, along with teammates Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood. Butler may not be the most exciting of the three, but he is definitely the most reliable of the Penn State receivers. Butler, now in his fourth year as a starter, was originally a walk on defensive back for the Nittany Lions. After red shirting and playing corner back for the practice squad, he was asked to move to wide receiver for the 2005 season. He responded by leading Penn State in catches and receiving touchdowns for the season, and helping bring Penn State back to national relevance. Butler has not only gone from former walk-on to starter, but also passed Bobby Engram for the top spot on Penn State’s all time catch list with 179. He has averaged 15.4 yards per catch for his career. Butler has also accounted for 22 receiving touchdowns, including 9 during his breakout freshman campaign. Like Williams, Butler’s numbers were hampered the last two seasons by Penn State’s erratic quarterback play. Butler has incredibly dependable hands, and rarely does a catch-able ball get past him. He is also a very crafty route runner. He has good speed, but also makes quick cuts to shake corners in the open field. The only thing that will really hurt him in the NFL is his size. Because he’s only 5’10″ and 168 pounds, teams may pass on him early in the draft. If all draft selections were based only on ability rather than potential, Butler would go in the third or fourth round. He will likely however, end up a steal for somebody in the late fifth or sixth round.
Deon Butler played in the East-West Shrine Game in January. He had a great week of practice, and impressed coaches with his excellent route running. Butler showed off a good burst coming out of his routes and ability to elevate over corner to get the ball at its highest point. He capped off his week by catching 3 passes for 69 yards during the actual game.

Deon Butler continued his impressive off season by blowing scouts away at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.38 second 40 yard dash and notched a 37 inch vertical leap, showing off the athleticism many scouts thought he lacked. Butler was a late round prospect because of his solid route running, but may have worked his way into the fourth round mix.

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By: CamanoIslandJQ

CamanoIslandJQ — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:16:00 +0000

QB, OL, C, and/or S are all needs that may be addressed in the first few rounds. At the Hawks round 4(105 overall) or 5 (137 overall) – if this guy is available at RB he should be worthy of considerable consideration:
Kory Sheets, RB, Purdue 6-0, 206-lbs, 4.47-40.
Kory Sheets has quietly put together an impressive career at Purdue. Sheets recently became Purdue’s all time leader in both total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns. This is all the more impressive considering Coach Joe Tiller’s pass happy scheme. He has consistently produced for the Boilermakers, scoring double digit touchdowns in each of his four seasons. He has the size to be an effective back at the professional level and has solid, if somewhat unspectacular, speed. For his career, the fifth year senior has tallied 3341 rushing yards (a 5.0 yards per carry average) and 48 rushing touchdowns. These numbers alone would make him a solid prospect, but Sheets has also caught 108 passes for 814 yards, good for 7.5 yards per catch. He has also scored on 5 receptions and even returned a punt for a touchdown as a freshman. Sheets has an advantage over a lot of other college running backs. Purdue’s offensive scheme has made him one of the better pass blocking tailbacks available this year. In addition to his offensive prowess, Sheets has also been an effective kickoff returner during his career. Whether or not Sheets can be an every down back in the NFL is still a bit of a question mark, but he has the skills to be a valuable contributor. His combination of size, speed, hands, and pass blocking skills make him a candidate for the third down role for an NFL franchise. Sheets is likely a fifth or early sixth round pick, but it only takes one team to become enamored and pull the trigger a little earlier.
Kory Sheets played in January’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Sheets was all over the field during the weekend’s game. He rushed the ball 7 times for 31 yards, had 4 catches for 5 yards, ran a kickoff back 61 yards, and even made a tackle while playing special teams. He did a lot to help his stock, not only by effectively running between the tackles, but also by displaying his versatility for the scouts on hand.

Kory Sheets is having a tremendous off season. He was fantastic at the NFL Combine, where he ran a blazing 4.47 second 40 yard dash. He also had a 37 inch vertical leap and a 10 foot 1 inch broad jump. Sheets is likely a fourth round pick who brings speed, solid hands, and value in the return game to his team.

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By: Palerydr

Palerydr — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:27:45 +0000

They have been using field turf since they opened quest field statistically it is the safest surface to play on. Injuries are part of football

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By: nightwulf

nightwulf — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:44:35 +0000

If it happens again this year (knock on wood) we’ll know there’s something up…

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By: klm008

klm008 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:36:10 +0000

Leaving all the plants in the greenhouse might be one of the reasons why so many players got injured last year. That new field turf – both at Qwest and in Renton. The odds of that many players getting hurt in one season were never that high in Seattle before. Coincidence? Not so sure.

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By: itscarlstime247

itscarlstime247 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:02:36 +0000

Nightwulf, I agree. Particularly about the O-line. If there are no holes, it wouldn’t matter if you had a speed back, either. But when it comes to RB’s, the answer isn’t a speed back.

In fact, I have OT at the top of my wish list #4. I’d also like to get Unger at #37, simply because I don’t see Alex Mack making it past Pittsburgh, that is, IF he even makes it past Minnesota. Duke Robinson will also be gone by then, too, so I have Unger really high on my wish list for #37. I will admit though, I ultimately want Patrick Chung the most at #37.

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By: spudland

spudland — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:38:08 +0000

I’m all for Ian Johnson and we could get him in the 3rd or 4th round. He’s a great one cut runner (goes from zero to 60 in nothing flat), great blocker, great hands, and great attitude. This guy is the real deal. I’ve been around him quite a bit at Boise State since I live here and he’s going to make some team very happy….I just hope it’s the Seahawks! I tried to get through all the red tape to let the FO know about Chris Carr because I knew he was going to be the best kick returner in the league but nobody would listen. All you had to do was watch the damn film on that guy! He’d take kickoffs 8 yards deep in the endzone and be out to the 25 yard line before the opponents players! I’d be screaming at the TV saying what are you doing? Then he’d end up at the 35! Took me 3 games to calm down and start saying here he goes, look out! Ian’s the same. Watch the tape and you will see a back with speed and heart that would fit very well with our team. Come on Timmy…do your homework.

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By: BobbyK

BobbyK — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:17:54 +0000

hawks4ever – I didn’t mean it bad.

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By: nighthawk2

nighthawk2 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:28:42 +0000

Yes, I’ve seen Moreno play. Which is why I’d be glad to have him at 4th, as much as I prefer an OT there.

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By: nightwulf

nightwulf — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:17:43 +0000

Carl,
Granted, the guy can flat out move, but if you don’t have a line opening holes for you, the only place you go is down…if we rate linemen on a scale from 1-10,
the line SA was running behind was this: LT 10 LG 10 C 8 RG 6 RT 8
the line we’ve got right now is this: LT 8.5 LG 6 C 2 RG 1 RT 8
unless you get rid of Sims, then but Willis in there, then RG becomes 6…
It’s really very simple, no line, no offense…and as I mentioned earlier, we’ve got next to no depth…so let’s skip the big play guys, and beef up our OL, that’ll keep us doing well on offense for the next few years. (later in the draft, we can pick up some project players, say a QB, WR and RB) I hear people saying that Wahle is adequate…I agree, the problem is, that he is by far and away our best interior lineman. Adequate is fine for the best BACK UP, or the worst starter, but if you start with adequate and go downhill from there in the middle of your line, that’s a fantastic way to gaurentee that we get a really high draft pick next year.
On the other hand, we can do what most folks want, and get the sexy players this year, then next year, we may have even better picks, and we can address the line then…but that would make for a really long year…

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