NFL Draft Primer: Seahawks, NFC West, League Chatter

DOES IT MAKE SENSE?

Immediate reaction from Average Seahawk Fan last night on Twitter was a resounding “ARE THEY CRAZY?!?!?!”  But dealing Irvin for the right return does make sense on a number of levels.  The Seahawks have to decide by Saturday whether to pick up his 5th year option for 2016, but at a price tag of $7.8 Million it just doesn’t fit with the concept of extending other key core players like Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Russell Okung, at least not given Irvin’s production.  Yes, he’s become a very solid OLB, but he was drafted to be an impact pass rusher, a terror coming off the edge as a LEO in the Seahawk system.  After showing flashes in sub packages as a rookie, he just never made the next step as a DE and made the move to linebacker his sophomore season.

Look at how the Seahawks have operated; identifying key players at each position, locking them up to long-term contracts, and filling the other holes with younger, cheaper players they find in the draft or other avenues.  3 of the 4 LOB member were locked up while Byron Maxwell flew to Philly.  Bennett and Avril got extensions while Clemons and Red were allowed to go elsewhere.  K.J. Wright got an extension in 2014 and Wagner will certainly get his.  Schneider and Pete Carroll have shown an ability to find linebacking talent, and in fact Irvin’s eventual replacement might already be on the roster in 2014 draftee Kevin Pierre-Louis.

Also, Seattle’s brain trust may feel that having Irvin motivated to have a great year heading into free agency is an advantage.

WHAT COULD A TRADE LOOK LIKE? 

Based on projections from some of the best draft analysts I follow on Twitter, it’s conceivable that Seattle could get Atlanta’s 2nd and 3rd round picks by dealing Irvin and the #63 to them.  So, using the 7 round mock draft I did for the Seahawks last week, let’s see how that might impact their eventual haul:

In last week’s mock, the first 4 picks went like this:

• 2nd round:  Dorial Green-Beckham, WR
• 3rd round: Ty Sambrailo, OT/OG
• 4th round: Gabe Wright, DT
• 4th round: Shaq Mason, OG/C

Moving from #63 to #42, and from #95 to #73 could look quite a bit different:

• 2nd round: Eli Harold, DE/OLB
• 3rd round: Mitch Morse, OG/C
• 3rd round: Tre McBride, WR
• 4th round: Sambrailo

In this scenario, Harold provides a dynamic, young, uber-fast edge rusher who could give the team the impact they were looking for when they drafted Irvin in the first place (and there are 3 or 4 other intriguing DE’s graded in that same range).  Morse is one of the more intriguing Center possibilities, and McBride has become my favorite WR target in that range of the draft.  And as you can see, we would still end up with Sambrailo a little later than I had him going in the first mock.  (I used the draft simulator at first-pick.com to determine who might be available.) 

To me, that would make dealing Irvin worthwhile.  But as of this morning it sounds like all is quiet on that front.  What seemed like a legitimate, juicy trade rumor last night might have actually gone down more like this:

ATLANTA: (on the phone to Seattle): “Hey guys, would you be willing to trade Irvin?”

SEATTLE: “Sure, give us your 2nd and 3rd.”

ATLANTA: click

That qualifies as “chatter,” doesn’t it?

Next: Around The NFC West