I don't like him enough to be a first rounder, but this team could use a vertical threat who's dangerous with the ball in his hands, the only questionmark is he gonna be another Golden Tate and is the price too steep for that kind of value.

He's absolutely worth looking at in the 2nd round (very much dependent on what we pick in the 1st of course) but potentially you're looking at a "Where do we put him?" scenario. Is he a SE/Slot receiver? if so then we have two young guys already in those roles and you may have to sit him for a bit of time to polish up his routes like we did with tate (as you mentioned). I don't see him as a true #1 to work behind Rice, I'd rather see what else was available in the second at that point.

HighlandHawk wrote:He's absolutely worth looking at in the 2nd round (very much dependent on what we pick in the 1st of course) but potentially you're looking at a "Where do we put him?" scenario. Is he a SE/Slot receiver? if so then we have two young guys already in those roles and you may have to sit him for a bit of time to polish up his routes like we did with tate (as you mentioned). I don't see him as a true #1 to work behind Rice, I'd rather see what else was available in the second at that point.

Real useful, versatile player that would effectively be our Randall Cobb, but quicker! Packers took him at the end of the second a couple of years ago, I think Austin would be a decent acquisition if we were picking for luxury. He'd eventually (instantly?) replace Leon as the return guy and 3rd back, but clearly offers more as a receiver and his pace gets him separation.

If we're taking a 'receiver' then this guy's my second favourite to Hopkins as they're the two guys who I see offering the most chance of making an instant impact, though through Austin, I'm not sure that's necessarily in his receiving. If we somehow manage to get a couple of picks before our original late second, then I'd be happy with this. Otherwise I think we're looking at DE/DT, an out and out receiver like Hopkins, or an LB with our first two picks.

I think I'll pass, I think we need to look at a potential replacement for Rice that can immediately compete with Tate on the outside.

There are about 8 WR's that could be selected by the end of the 2nd round and I'm hoping we get the one we want.

Hopkins is my Favorite right now as I think he is probably the most pro ready and he's only 20. Some of the others don't have the same body of work and have unlimited potential as they are in the 6'3 range size wise but not sure we want a project WR. I think Hopkins is a hard worker and would be a perfect fit for this team. I'd love for him to be around at #25 and I hope a few teams in front of us draft for potential over production and draft the Tennesee WR's instead of Hopkins.

Not sure how I fell about Kennan Allen yet

I would take Tavon Austin every day of the week and especially on Sundays. That dude is a player... AND he's not a knucklehead, either. He will likely not be available by the 2nd round. Any team wanting his services will probably have to take him in the 1st - or risk they'll lose out. I see him projected all over the 2nd half of the 1st round. Austin is the type of player that I think we would look back after 5 years and be so glad the Seahawks drafted him. He is NOT Dexter McCluster or DeSean Jackson or any other comparison. He is Tavon Austin. With the right team, he will make an immediate impact. He runs tough and doesn't go down as easy as players that size typically do. If you haven't really watched him play... get on YouTube. He's looked like Walter Payton with that long stride stutter step, Barry Sanders-like elusiveness, etc. He knows his position is definitely as a slot receiver. He laughs when others think he could be a RB in the NFL. Still, I think he could be utilized creatively and his KR/PR capabilities would be off the charts. Absolute Electric Player. No doubt about it. If he goes to any other team in our division... I fear he would give us headaches for years.

Yeah, Randall Cobb/Percy Harvin mold. I'd like to have him just to see what we can do with him out of the backfield and to have him stretch the field vertically.

I like him, nice situational player, but I think we really need someone who could step in if/when Sydney Rice gets injured. With the talent available I think they will target a larger WR.

I don't see this guy being on Seattle unless he falls to the 3rd or maybe even 4th.

Pete doesn't have a big history with little guys. Pete thinks Baldwin is small, and Tavon is tiny even by that standard. And Baldwin as a UDFA. Washington is small, and he is way bigger than Tavon.

I simply don't see anything from Pete's history to suggest he wants one of these mighty mites like Tavon. Maybe as a kick returner, but not in the 2nd. Washington was acquired for peanuts, Baldwin was a UDFA.

Now, if Seattle's rebuild were fully complete, I could see a luxury pick like this being a possibility.

I would assume the Hawks have Tavon and Denard in the same category. With, Denard being more of an impact.

You guys are sizeists!!! ; )
My comments were not to suggest that I know the mind of Pete Carroll or to predict that the Hawks will indeed take Tavon Austin. My comments were to simply state that I don't believe (nor see in projections) that he will be anything other than a 1st round pick. There's talk on here about Wes Welker in free agency. Both guys are roughly the same size. Prototypical, schmototypical. Can...they... PLAY... FOOTBALL? I liked what new Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said about the things one cannot measure in a player (he was speaking of QB specifically)... is their heart... does the player have GRIT? I've seen draft after draft and teams trying to fit players into a certain mold. I would think that after seeing Russell Wilson prove that he can play... we would not be so hung up on size (though I'm not advocating we paint ourselves all blue and change the mascot.) Too, I don't think Austin and Robinson are the same player. I can see how some might lump them in a category... but, it would be a mistake. Don't misunderstand me that I'm saying we don't succeed if we don't get Austin. I'm not one for "predications" either (other than Hawks vs. TBD in Feb 2014, of course!!!) I didn't say I see the Hawks taking him (that's for them to determine). I only mean to say the dude can FLAT OUT PLAY and will make an impact. I just hope not against the Hawks. Where is Austin being projected outside the 1st round? I haven't seen it. (But, it's still early... before the combine and all the evaluation period.)

To clarify... what I mean by saying "I'm not one for predictions" is that I just don't wish to be emphatic or say "bank on it" while giving my opinion about players that have proven they can play football as we collectively look forward to the future. I would be happy to see the Hawks land any number of talented players and will be excited to see what they think is best for the team. Too, I know this fanbase isn't truly hung up on size and fully understands RW has done much to cure "flutiephobia".

I agree with a lot of what TeamoftheCentury is saying. Austin is straight-up playmaker. Just got the ball in his hand and hold your breath cause he can do some amazing things on the field.

His size hurts his value, of course, especially for a coach like Pete who looks for prototypical size, unless he has special talents, and that's Austin. A kid with special talents.

Now, looking at him with the Seahawks in mind, I don't see him as a top-priority in this draft. He'd be an immediate upgrade over Baldwin if they drafted him, IMO, and improve the top 3 starting receiver corp, but it doesn't really fill the huge need for a receiver with size. If we drafted Austin, I think they would have to see him as a huge value pick in the 2nd rd, similar to how Tate fell in 2010.

I do love the idea of having a player like Austin on this team, though. I think he could be seen as a weapon and create some mismatches.

Example- Last game against the Rams, on 3rd down in a shotgun spread formation against the Rams' nickel defense, the offense motioned Baldwin from the line into the backfield into a running back type role. It was the first and only time i've seen them run this play. From there the Hawks could run anything, but specifically, they can run their option offense, either running it with Baldwin or Wilson, or playactioning out of it. Now, of course, with Baldwin the threat of running the ball with him is not there, BUT if you get a player like Austin, you can start seeing what kind of impact he could have, even in only a limited amount of those plays.

Tavon Austin will probably end up in Philly. Seems like a Chip Kelly type of player. Maybe he'd even try him at RB. Austin had no shortage of gimmicky rush attempts in college, funny enough.

kearly wrote:Tavon Austin will probably end up in Philly. Seems like a Chip Kelly type of player. Maybe he'd even try him at RB. Austin had no shortage of gimmicky rush attempts in college, funny enough.

Not with the 4th overall pick. So, you're saying with the 35th pick overall (3rd, second round.) Maybe. But, Austin probably wont be there in the 2nd round. (Though I'm seeing projections of him drop... I still see one of the 26-32 draft position teams taking him in the first.) We'll see how the draft falls as it gets closer. Austin is likely a late 1st round guy. Trading down in the 1st round isn't so easy, especially in a deep draft. The Hawks are in a spot that could make sense to pull the trigger on such an electric player at 25. If Austin were to fall out of the first round... he's the type of player that teams might target at the very top of the 2nd and perhaps try to trade up with JAX or KC to get them more picks... especially if a team that wants him sees Philly sitting there at 35.
Having said all that... I think the Hawks will probably take a DT. Perhaps Kawann Short. If that Ansah kid drops to 25, perhaps. Quinton Patton might be a guy to consider after the 1st round. We can see him play in the Senior Bowl with NFL talent on Saturday.

TeamoftheCentury wrote:

kearly wrote:Tavon Austin will probably end up in Philly. Seems like a Chip Kelly type of player. Maybe he'd even try him at RB. Austin had no shortage of gimmicky rush attempts in college, funny enough.

Not with the 4th overall pick. So, you're saying with the 35th pick overall (3rd, second round.) Maybe. But, Austin probably wont be there in the 2nd round. (Though I'm seeing projections of him drop... I still see one of the 26-32 draft position teams taking him in the first.) We'll see how the draft falls as it gets closer. Austin is likely a late 1st round guy. Trading down in the 1st round isn't so easy, especially in a deep draft. The Hawks are in a spot that could make sense to pull the trigger on such an electric player at 25. If Austin were to fall out of the first round... he's the type of player that teams might target at the very top of the 2nd and perhaps try to trade up with JAX or KC to get them more picks... especially if a team that wants him sees Philly sitting there at 35.
Having said all that... I think the Hawks will probably take a DT. Perhaps Kawann Short. If that Ansah kid drops to 25, perhaps. Quinton Patton might be a guy to consider after the 1st round. We can see him play in the Senior Bowl with NFL talent on Saturday.

Austin won't go in the 1st, I see him as an early to mid 2nd round pick.

I'd rather have Da'Rick Rogers.

Stats say that Austin, as a straight up WR, isn't even the best WR on his own team. With the exact same number of catches, Steadman Bailey has about 3 more yards per completition and more than twice the number of TD's.

Here are the receiving stats for last season, sorted by # of TD's. Note that Steadman Bailey's 25 TD's
total for the year are +/- DOUBLE of any other player (Hopkins being the exception).
1. Stedman Bailey, WR, 5-10/188, WVU, 114-1622, 14.2, 87, 25-TDs
2. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, 6-1/200, CLEM, 82-1405, 17.1, 62, 18-TDs
7. Quinton Patton, WR, 6-2/195, LT, 104-392, 13.4, 79, 13-TDs
8. Terrance Williams, WR, 6-2/205, BAY, 97-1832, 18.9, 80, 12-TDs
12. Tavon Austin, WR, 5-9/174, WVU, 114-1289, 11.3, 75, 12-TDs
15. Markus Wheaton, WR, 6-1/182, ORST, 91-1244, 13.7, 51, 11-TDs
LINK: http://espn.go.com/college-football/sta ... Touchdowns

Seems like there may be some "height bias" with regard to receivers. The standards seem to be that a sub 6 foot receiver has to have elite speed to crack the first round of the draft. A "good sized" receiver of 6-2 to 6-5 seems to be the ideal size preferred because they are better able to fight for balls and are just so much better as "red zone" targets. If that is the case, how do we justify 3rd round projections on a guy like Steadman Bailey that has double or triple the number of TD's than nearly every other receiver in the country?
I still like the looks of DeAndre Hopkins overall game and would certainly hope that he is considered at the #25 pick. However, In the event that he isn't available (or the Hawks go with another position) I would be more than happy to see Steadman Bailey as a 2-nd (or even 3-rd) round pick for the Seahawks. If one takes the time to research Bailey, you'll find that unlike Golden Tate, it's his PRECISE route running and quickness in and out of cuts that offsets any perceived speed disadvantage (he's supposed to be a 4.49/40 guy, but watch combine #'s). The Seahawks need more TD makers.

I wouldn't take any of the recievers listed above. Tate is fully capable of being a good slot receiver. Solid hands, and he's not afraid to take a shot or dish one for that matter. We need a solid, outside #2 option at a MINIMUM of 6'3 imo

hawks509 wrote:I wouldn't take any of the recievers listed above. Tate is fully capable of being a good slot receiver. Solid hands, and he's not afraid to take a shot or dish one for that matter. We need a solid, outside #2 option at a MINIMUM of 6'3 imo

6'1 or better would be okay depending on thickness. But yeah, some size would be nice.

McGruff wrote:

hawks509 wrote:I wouldn't take any of the recievers listed above. Tate is fully capable of being a good slot receiver. Solid hands, and he's not afraid to take a shot or dish one for that matter. We need a solid, outside #2 option at a MINIMUM of 6'3 imo

6'1 or better would be okay depending on thickness. But yeah, some size would be nice.

I've just always thought if you're in that 6' to 6'2 range you need to be an elite talent to consistently play outside. With an accurate QB like we have now, if we can get someone 6'3+ opposite of Rice it'll be huge. Even if they don't have elite speed, if they catch with their hands and understand how to seal off their defender, Wilson will thread the needle to give them a chance at it.

Well, the two guys I like for us the most are both listed at 6'3", so if they come in that height, I guess we're okay.