Why did we pass on Carter?

[Donn2390]

From the article;

How good is Devon Witherspoon? Pete Carroll likens Seahawks’ top pick to Troy Polamalu

The 71-year-old coach had Polamalu at USC before he became a Hall-of-Fame safety. He knows it’s high praise to put on Witherspoon.

www.yahoo.com

Why pass on Jalen Carter? The Georgia stud who most saw as the first-overall pick in this draft until off-the-field incidents and a bad pro-day workout in March was available to Seattle at five. Carroll and Schneider had talked to him in person three times in six weeks: at the combine, at his pro day and in Seattle on a pre-draft top-30 visit.

Schneider said, ultimately, it wasn’t hard to pass on Carter.

 

[TAB420]

The fear of drafting Aldon Smith 2.0.

 

[BlueTalon]

The combination of attributes + drawbacks made Carter not as good of a candidate as Witherspoon. It's a simple as that.

I say that as someone who really wanted Carter, and was disappointed when we didn't draft him. But I'm over it now, and I'm really excited for who we got.

 

[Rat]

Nobody showed up to his birthday party.

 

[Pappy367]

Well if the new reports are correct. None of the Georgia coaching staff had anything good to say about him. That's saying something right there.

 

[hgwellz12]

Without knowing all the dirty details, I wonder if Pete would have rolled the dice if we still had a Norton Jr. on staff and like Cliff or Kam still in pads under contract for a few years.

 

[hoxrox]

They did their homework, and as much as I want a dominate D-line that's feared around the league, I'm ok with the non-pick.

Like John said, they gotta stay true to what they do.

 

[olyfan63]

Lack of *consistent* production (sacks) and coming off the field gassed too much. The judgment concerns (car racing death) just added fuel to the fire.

 

[Rainger]

Best non pick they made in 10 years!

 

[Smellyman]

Hawks can try to pick him up on his redemption comeback

 

[Ozzy]

A few posters would get mad any time you suggested that they wouldn't pass on him because of the character issues but they told us over and over it was a point of emphasis. I think he is so talented at a position of need that they did their homework but he was off their board after that process was over.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

He fell to 9 for a reason. Come on.

 

[keasley45]

When John Schneider was asked about their experience in meetings with Carter, he said something to the affect that he was 'easy to pass up'...

So the really must not have liked him as a person and had serious reservations about his character.

 

[Ozzy]

I think they pass on him at 20 too if he fell. While I was a 100% no at 5 Philly might actually be the perfect place for Carter because of so many of his ex-teammates around him and they are in a much better spot roster wise to take a chance on Carter. Wouldn't shock me if he turns into a monster there. I just don't think it wouldn've happened in Seattle.

 

[GGotskill]

Jalen Carter overcame not-great feedback from Georgia coaches to stay in top 10

College coaches who are asked about their former players often face a dilemma.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

 

[oldhawkfan]

If Tom Cable were still around, he would have advocated drafting him at 5 and turning him into a center.

 

[GGotskill]

Philly might actually be the perfect place for Carter because of so many of his ex-teammates around him and they are in a much better spot roster wise to take a chance on Carter. Wouldn't shock me if he turns into a monster there. I just don't think it wouldn've happened in Seattle.

Yeah, I think most people have the same line of reasoning, but I saw an interesting take:

All of these bad habits he had and/or developed while playing at UGA, a lot of people think a change of scenery would help him...but he's going right back to being around a bunch of old college teammates (and one coach I believe?). If these people weren't helping him be accountable then, what makes you think they are going to help him now, when there is whole lot less incentive after he has been drafted?

Just a different take that I thought rang true.

 

[GGotskill]

If Tom Cable were still around, he would have advocated drafting him at 5 and turning him into a center.

I know Cable gets a lot of grief around here, and rightfully so, but he was reasonably successful the couple of times he tried this out. It was mostly day 3 picks/UDFAs, and Hawks got above projected starts for the large majority of them.

 

[Ozzy]

Jalen Carter overcame not-great feedback from Georgia coaches to stay in top 10

College coaches who are asked about their former players often face a dilemma.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

If your coaches can't say anything nice when you're out the door I would guess Seattle removed him completely from their board.

Who is the guy who slammed Staton when I mentioned that his connections told him about this for months?

 

[Ozzy]

Yeah, I think most people have the same line of reasoning, but I saw an interesting take:

All of these bad habits he had and/or developed while playing at UGA, a lot of people think a change of scenery would help him...but he's going right back to being around a bunch of old college teammates (and one coach I believe?). If these people weren't helping him be accountable then, what makes you think they are going to help him now, when there is whole lot less incentive after he has been drafted?

Just a different take that I thought rang true.

This is a completely valid point that I hadn't thought about.