Seahawks meeting with Jalen Carter is a good thing

The Seahawks have invited Jalen Carter for a visit. Is that a good thing, or a waste of time with just 30 visits allowed to each team? I see this as a very smart move by the Hawks.

The Seahawks will be meeting with the highest-profile player yet as part of their 30-visit allocation. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter will fly into VMAC today (Tuesday the 11th, if you're reading this in the distant mists of time). That's definitely safer than driving. Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Yes, it's true that I wrote that I wouldn't draft Jalen Carter at all, let alone at number five. I also said on one of our 12thManRising podcast that I wouldn't take Carter at all. There are serious questions about his character, not the least of which is that he showed up so out of shape to his own pro day that he couldn't complete position drills.

I will add that in my original article, I said that the Seahawks are big believers in second chances, and that they had to have serious discussions with Jalen Carter. Since I wrote that initial piece a bit over a month ago, Carter wisely changed his plea to no contest. This is just a bit different from his absurd comments after his arrest, in which he loudly proclaimed he would be exonerated of all charges. Considering he admitted to driving next to the vehicle at the time of the crash and that authorities proved said vehicle was traveling at 104 mph at that time. Carter was an idiot for proclaiming his innocence.

The Seahawks are meeting with defensive tackle Jalen Carter on Tuesday

As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service, and a driving course. Presumably, that's to ensure he learns his lesson after being cited twice for speeding. Maybe he should have been cited for reckless driving as well since the officer actually told him that was the case. But college football stars get different treatment. Regardless, the fact Jalen Carter plead no contest does show a bit more maturity than he showed earlier.

Or at the least, he showed a better relationship with reality. He still has to answer how he managed to gain nine pounds in the three weeks between the combine and his pro day and fall so far out of shape that he gassed on the day that was supposed to be a showcase for his skills. Instead, it only highlighted his immaturity. As with the circumstances of the accident, details may emerge which show a different picture from what we initially read. Perhaps he had taken ill and couldn't work out as much as he wanted to. I think he just got lazy and figured he had a top-five draft pick sewn up, so he didn't have to put in the work.

The fact that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, announced that Carter would not visit any teams outside the top ten lends serious credence to my assertion. Asked about this development, John Schneider said he had no opinion about it. Of course not; he has the fifth pick, so whether or not he intends to use it to get Carter doesn't matter. He'll still get to talk with him, and will.

As others have said, it's not the brightest move to exclude any team that might want to trade up for you, especially as those teams finished last season with better records. Imagine saying you don't want to join the Chiefs or Eagles, all because you didn't think they could work out a trade for a high pick. That smacks of gamesmanship by Rosenhaus, creating an impression that there's no way his guy could fall out of the top ten. Frankly, I think it's incredibly short-sighted, as it cuts 21 other teams out of the running. Yeah, no first round for you, Dolphins.

As Brock Huard said on Seattle Sports Brock and Salk Show (as reported by Brent Stecker on sportsmynorthwest.com), the Seahawks will take the opportunity to find out if Jalen Carter is really worth drafting, and where. This will be their opportunity to find out firsthand if Carter has just made a few mistakes and is ready to grow from them, or if the Seahawks should use that precious draft capital on a more reliable, more mature player. As Brock Huard said:

"“They want to dig into him deeper. They want him in their environment,” Huard said during the daily Blue 88 segment of Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. ” From what I understand… this is not to come in and work out. These top 30 visits for guys, especially those represented by (agent) Drew Rosenhaus who are not going to take other visits of anybody outside the top 10 – remember, that was the news a week ago with Jalen Carter – this isn’t a workout, this isn’t height and weight, this isn’t any of that. This is pure psychology. This is digging into… ‘Does this guy love football? Does this guy want to be great?’"

- Brock Huard, quoted by Brent Stecker

Now, I'm sure that Pete Carroll, John Schneider, and Clint Hurtt know exactly what to ask Carter. Personally, I'd rather see Bobby Wagner, Quandre Diggs, and Tyler Lockett in that interview room. No coaches, no staff, just football player to football players, man to men. After all, these are the guys that will depend on Carter to show up for every play.

If Jalen Carter has any sense at all, he'll respect the coaches and be honest. But there's no way he'd be able to con those three players. I hope he has a great visit. I hope he's matured through his experiences. He wouldn't be the first player the Hawks took a chance on. Frank Clark worked out pretty well, after all. I wish Carter luck, but more than anything, I hope he's sincere in his answers to the Seahawks' questions.