NFC West: Chris Palmer
Reading tea leaves at Jake Locker's pro day
March, 30, 2011
3/30/11
6:32
PM ET
By
Mike Sando | ESPN.com
AP Photo/Elaine ThompsonWashington quarterback Jake Locker didn't appear to do anything to hurt his draft status at his pro day on Wednesday.Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, in town on business, dropped by the Dempsey Indoor facility. Former NFL officiating czar Mike Pereira, in town for a meeting related to his role as interim head of Pac-10 officials, also attended.
Former Washington quarterbacks Warren Moon, Damon Huard, Brock Huard (working for ESPN), Hugh Millen, Cary Conklin and Sonny Sixkiller were there.
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The Seahawks' current decision-makers and most of their coaches drove over from team headquarters, no surprise given the proximity and coach Pete Carroll's ties to Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian, his former USC assistant.
But if the Seahawks' division rivals have any interest in Locker, they hid that interest quite well. The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers did not send representatives, to my knowledge. They certainly did not have any high-profile staffers in attendance. That comes as a bit of a surprise given their obvious needs at quarterback and Locker's potential availability early in the second round, if he slips outside the first.
"I never read anything into which teams attend pro days," Locker's agent, David Dunn, said on the field following the workout. "I've had too many players selected by teams that weren't at pro days or didn't even visit with players."
Fair enough, but teams generally pay closer attention to quarterbacks. The 49ers sent Jim Harbaugh to Blaine Gabbert's pro day at Missouri. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt ran Auburn's Cam Newton through various throws at a recent workout.
"With quarterbacks, you want to be able to touch and feel and see how they are as people as well as athletes and players," Dunn said.
Locker was not the only Washington prospect performing for scouts, but he was the main draw. He did nothing obvious to damage his draft stock during the workout. He completed all but a couple of passes while showing fluidity in his drops and a short delivery, according to scouts who agreed to speak in general terms and not for attribution.
"I've never nitpicked a guy like I've nitpicked Locker," one of them said. "The guy is a winner, and at the end of the day that has to count for something."
Locker has been working with former NFL quarterback Ken O'Brien to bring his hand over the top more quickly when delivering the ball.
The controlled environment was set up to make him look good. No NFL coaches or personnel people asked Locker to perform unscripted throws. They watched Locker zip the ball with ample velocity and accuracy most of the time, save for a couple high throws that his overworked wide receiver, D'Andre Goodwin, snatched away from his body.
"I'm focusing on the fluidity of the drop, getting my feet in the right spot and just bringing the hand over the top as quickly as I could, rather than dragging my hand," Locker said afterward. "I have a tendency to do that sometimes. I want to bring my hand over the top and really point that finger at my target. I have been spinning the ball a lot better and it's been coming off my hand a lot better."
Locker's relatively low completion percentage at Washington and his inexperience running a pro-style offense have raised questions about his readiness for the NFL. Can he read defenses? Can he throw accurately and on time from the pocket? To what degree did a weak offensive line and receiving corps hamstring him in college?
I've heard differing opinions from scouts as to how well Locker would fit with the NFC West teams that need quarterbacks (Seattle, Arizona and San Francisco).
"A lot of people seem to have him pinpointed to Seattle at No. 25, but I don’t think that makes any sense at all," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. "It works for people who do not know the X’s and O’s of it all. At 25, he has some value. He went to school in that area. It is easy to say that is a good fit, but I think Seattle is going more and more to a pure West Coast offense, and Locker doesn't fit the West Coast offense at all."
The Cardinals pick fifth and the 49ers pick seventh, earlier than Locker is expected to come off the board. Seattle is one of the few quarterback-needy teams picking later in the first round, when Locker figures to become a more likely selection.
"Jake seems to be an acquired taste," Dunn said. "The more you watch him on film, the more that you are around him, the more you like him."
How well Locker would fit with the Seahawks could hinge on the degree to which Williamson is right in his assessment of how Seattle's offense will evolve.
New coordinator Darrell Bevell comes from the Andy Reid/Mike Holmgren branch of the West Coast offense, a branch that relies more heavily on short, precise passes. Before Bevell replaced Jeremy Bates, the Seahawks had been running Mike Shanahan's version of the West Coast system featuring more quarterback movement, hard play-action fakes and deeper throws requiring greater arm strength.
Carroll, who attended the workout Wednesday, has said the Seahawks do not plan to significantly diverge from the system they ran last season. But it's plausible to think that Bevell's background could steer them away to some degree.
"You do have to be a precise passer in a Bill Walsh, traditional West Coast offense," Rob Rang, senior analyst for NFL Draft Scout, said from the Dempsey Indoor facility. "But I like any offense that is going to use Jake Locker's mobility as an asset rather than just keeping him pinned in that pocket. If you can use his legs as a weapon, that is where he has been his most accurate. He made significant improvements in his accuracy from the so-called pocket in this workout, but at the same time, his strength remains throwing on the move."
Rang said he would draft Locker in the first round as long as the team in question has a veteran starter in place.
I stood next to Moon, the retired Hall of Famer, throughout the workout. Moon said he sees the NFL game evolving to favor quarterbacks with mobility. Life for traditional pocket passers is getting tougher, in his view. Locker's athleticism and scrambling ability separate him from most prospects. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds, a time that holds up against those posted by some wide receivers. But quarterbacks must also succeed as pocket passers to make it in the NFL.
"Locker is pretty accurate outside the pocket," Williamson said, "but as far as going 1-2-3 and getting it out, having good footwork, hitting a guy in stride, he is terrible. I don’t see that fit at all. I do not think he is going to be the precise passer Harbaugh is looking for, either. I can see someone like Arizona being really interested in him in Round 2. They might like a more 'toolsy' guy, like a Ben Roethlisberger."
Williamson sees Locker appealing to a coach such as Shanahan, who might see Locker as a cross between Jay Cutler and Jake Plummer, two quarterbacks Shanahan coached in Denver. That's the type of quarterback Seattle was seeking when Jeremy Bates was coordinating their offense. It's the type of quarterback the Seahawks might still value if Bevell installs the type of system Carroll has favored previously.
"I don't know in the NFL right now if people run different offenses," Sarkisian said. "It's so much of a copycat league and everybody runs so many things that are similar that it's hard to say that New England is different than Pittsburgh that is different than Seattle that is different from the Chargers. They all have their focal points, but at the end of the day, there are a lot of similarities. Things will be tailored for him [Locker], like they are for every quarterback, but I just think he fits in as an NFL quarterback."
Facebook friend E.J. reached out with a question about Matt Leinart's light workload against the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.
"When Kurt Warner was the starter," he wrote, "I always thought Leinart should play every snap of the preseason (when Warner wasn't in). But to my surprise, they often played Brian St. Pierre and even Tyler Palko. Now that Leinart's time has come, I'm again surprised to see how little Leinart has played."
E.J. pointed to other starters around the league playing longer.
"Could you shed some light on the Cardinals' approach to limiting Leinart's preseason work?" he asked.
Yes. I asked coach Ken Whisenhunt about this issue early in training camp and he surprisingly said there would be no extra effort made to get reps for Leinart. To the contrary, Whisenhunt was reasonably comfortable with what Leinart could do. Getting work for Anderson, who was new to the system, would be a higher priority than carving out extra time for Leinart.
That told me Whisenhunt felt good enough about Leinart to go into the season with Leinart as his starter, even if the offense played the way it played in past preseasons with Kurt Warner under center -- not very well.
Yes, it's more important for Leinart to look good during these preseason games because he's less established than Warner. It's also fair to wonder to what degree Leinart's performances might be affecting Whisenhunt's view of him. My sense early in camp was that Whisenhunt felt better about Leinart than he was letting on -- the last thing he wanted to see was Leinart getting complacent. Whisenhunt has handled other players similarly, so there's nothing out of the ordinary there.
At your request, E.J., I went through gamebooks from the recently completed second week of exhibition games to see how much starting quarterbacks played in general. Special circumstances limited A.J. Feeley, Josh Freeman and Brett Favre to only one series apiece.
The chart ranks preseason Week 2 starting quarterbacks by total plays. The chart also shows total possessions and pass attempts for each quarterback. Leinart could have gotten more plays by converting a first down or two, but I thought Whisenhunt could have given him another series or possibly gone for it on fourth-and-1.
"When Kurt Warner was the starter," he wrote, "I always thought Leinart should play every snap of the preseason (when Warner wasn't in). But to my surprise, they often played Brian St. Pierre and even Tyler Palko. Now that Leinart's time has come, I'm again surprised to see how little Leinart has played."
E.J. pointed to other starters around the league playing longer.
"Could you shed some light on the Cardinals' approach to limiting Leinart's preseason work?" he asked.
Yes. I asked coach Ken Whisenhunt about this issue early in training camp and he surprisingly said there would be no extra effort made to get reps for Leinart. To the contrary, Whisenhunt was reasonably comfortable with what Leinart could do. Getting work for Anderson, who was new to the system, would be a higher priority than carving out extra time for Leinart.
That told me Whisenhunt felt good enough about Leinart to go into the season with Leinart as his starter, even if the offense played the way it played in past preseasons with Kurt Warner under center -- not very well.
Yes, it's more important for Leinart to look good during these preseason games because he's less established than Warner. It's also fair to wonder to what degree Leinart's performances might be affecting Whisenhunt's view of him. My sense early in camp was that Whisenhunt felt better about Leinart than he was letting on -- the last thing he wanted to see was Leinart getting complacent. Whisenhunt has handled other players similarly, so there's nothing out of the ordinary there.
At your request, E.J., I went through gamebooks from the recently completed second week of exhibition games to see how much starting quarterbacks played in general. Special circumstances limited A.J. Feeley, Josh Freeman and Brett Favre to only one series apiece.
The chart ranks preseason Week 2 starting quarterbacks by total plays. The chart also shows total possessions and pass attempts for each quarterback. Leinart could have gotten more plays by converting a first down or two, but I thought Whisenhunt could have given him another series or possibly gone for it on fourth-and-1.
Mike from Costa Mesa, Calif., writes: Sando, I don't think anyone who is not a long-time Cardinals fan realizes just how different the postseason is with Ken Whisenhunt at the helm. Even with all the losses of personnel, I am mostly sanguine about the fallout, confident that Whisenhunt knows what he is doing and that the team next year -- with the probable exception of the QB position -- will be an improvement on last year. I for one have NEVER felt this way about the Cardinals in the offseason, and it is literally mind-boggling to even contemplate. For the first time, when I think to myself 'typical Cardinals', that is an expressions of optimism rather than one of despair and resignation.
Mike Sando: I hear you on Whisenhunt. He's really sharp and capable. He does project the feeling he's in control and things will be OK. And I do think the organization has a shot to do good things over the long term. Whisenhunt does know what he is doing. That is why I won't read too much into it if the Cardinals struggle some in 2010, a transitional season at quarterback.
Whisenhunt has generally fielded a well-coached team despite working at a disadvantage from a resources standpoint (the other teams in the division have 20-plus coaches apiece, compared to 16 for Arizona). Your confidence in him is justified. It still takes players, though, and quarterbacks in particular. If the Cardinals drop off this season, Whisenhunt won't be the reason (on a side note, it's also easy to forget that Matt Leinart played pretty well and nearly won the one game he started last season, losing to the Titans only when Tennessee put together a 99-yard drive to end the game).
Jess from Idaho Falls, Idaho, writes: I am just wondering why you are such a critic toward the Niners. It is pretty easy to see that they are the frontrunner in the West and as far as signing Carr, it is a great move. He has never been protected and I think he has a shot at starting. All we need is to draft a good tackle and this team is set to win the division, hands down.
Mike Sando: The easy thing to do would be to anoint the 49ers based on Kurt Warner's retirement. I don't think it's that simple. The 49ers appear to have a good chance to win the division. But if the Cardinals are nervous about going into a season with Leinart at quarterback, how should the 49ers feel going into a season with Alex Smith and David Carr as their top options? A little skepticism is a good thing.
Stu from Los Angeles writes: Hey Mike, with so many pressing needs (secondary, WR, offensive line etc.), am I the only one thinking that the Seahawks are beginning to fall behind quickly in the free-agent market? Also, with all the focus on Brandon Marshall, have we lost sight of other important needs?
Mike Sando: I thought Seattle might be a little more aggressive in the market, for sure. But I also realize this is a horrible market because more than 200 players failed to become unrestricted free agents once rules governing an uncapped year changed the requirements. Pete Carroll wants to go young. The vast majority of available UFAs are in their 30s, with a large number 35 or older. Those guys are available for a reason in most cases.
Stan from Burlington, Vt., writes: Yo Sando, lifelong Niners fan from the Northeast. David Carr. How similar will Jimmy Raye's offensive system be to other systems he has run in the past? I personally love this move by the Niners as I am not sold on Alex Smith. I also have the pleasure of watching the Giants on a consistent basis. And I'll tell you what, the few snaps I've seen Carr take, I was impressed. He throws with a lot more zip and confidence than Smith. Love your work.
Mike Sando: Thanks, Stan. They 49ers' decision to sign David Carr at Shaun Hill's expense shows the team felt Hill had maxed out. I think the 49ers were right about that, too. The question is whether Carr makes them better. We know Carr makes them more talented. The tradeoff appealed to the 49ers.
Chris Palmer was the Texans' offensive coordinator when Carr broke into the league. Palmer had run-and-shoot roots with the Oilers teams of the early 1990s. He also has roots in the Bill Parcells coaching tree. I don't know how much overlap there would be between the offenses Carr has run and the one the 49ers are running under Jimmy Raye. That is something I'll find out. Off the top of my head, I do think there would be more similarities than if the 49ers were running, say, a West Coast-based offense (the offenses Palmer has installed were numbers-based, whereas West Coast systems are color-coded).
Brandon from Phoenix writes: Hey, Mike, really enjoy your work. You do a great job on the NFC West. Question for you. Where does Mel Kiper have the Cards going in the first round? I'm torn on either a defensive tackle or linebacker, depending on if we get Joey Porter and/or Larry Foote maybe. They do need a young defensive tackle, run stuffer, hole clogger for the 3-4. Is the LB depth strong enough to pass on taking one in the first round?
Mike Sando: Adding Porter and/or Foote would provide some flexibility heading into the draft. We covered ground on this subject recently when noting that Kiper had the Cardinals selecting linebacker Jerry Hughes. Kiper previously had Arizona selecting Tennessee nose tackle Dan Williams, but Williams wasn't available at No. 26 in Kiper's updated mock.
Jay from Mount Vernon, Wash., writes: Hey Mike, all the talk about changing the overtime rules seems to ignore an obvious point in my mind. Why not just play a 7-minute timed overtime period? I've never liked how overtime is so different from the end of the fourth quarter in a close game where the 2-minute drill is a huge factor. As it is, overtime is anti-climactic most of the time with teams taking the air out of the ball and playing for a field goal.
The frantic pace of the end game is one of the reasons the NFL is so great. Why doesn't anybody else think just an extra half-quarter for overtime is a good idea? P.S., just say NO to McNabb in Seattle. (And Clausen and Bradford for that matter). Build up the OL and DL!
Mike Sando: Interesting thought. Seven minutes would still be plenty of time for a team to take the air out of the ball and play for a field goal, though. I'm guessing most overtime games don't last that long.
Nils from Lincoln, Neb., writes: As I understand it, part of the complaint is that kicking off from the 30 means an average starting point of the 35, which means a short field to a field goal. Why not just move the kickoff spot back to the 35 or 40 in OT? You maintain the drama of sudden death, but you force the team to drive 65 yards to get a field goal.
Mike Sando: Indeed, overtime did become more predictable after the NFL moved kickoffs back to facilitate returns. Former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Ira Miller advocated this years ago and drove home the point in a recent note to Lowell Cohn. His case sounds compelling.
Trevor from Edmonds, Wash., writes: Hey Sando, thanks for reading. Wanted to know your thoughts on the Rams offering Oshiomogho Atogwe the lowest possible tender and what his options are going to be as a restricted free agent. I know his play tailed off a little last year, but this is still a young/playmaking safety. As a Seahawk fan whose team needs a young/playmaking safety and who has seen Atogwe play really well against Seattle in the past, it seems to make too much sense to use a low-round pick to go get him. Is there something I'm missing?
Mike Sando: You're correct about Atogwe playing well against Seattle. I thought he played very well at Qwest Field in the opener last season. The only thing you're missing right now is the fact that the Rams could match any offer Seattle made. The Rams will have to up their offer to nearly $7 million if they want to retain Atogwe's rights past June 1. Perhaps the Rams work out a trade before then. Perhaps teams with interest in Atogwe will wait to see if the Rams let him go.
Michael from Los Angeles writes: Hey Sando, if the Cardinals were going to draft an outside linebacker as many analysts think, what are the chances, if any, we pick up Taylor Mays if he falls to us? He has ridiculous speed and is big enough to be a linebacker, and as a USC student, I have come to realize he isn't a great safety, just a great athlete. Give me some hope.
Mike Sando: I can't endorse that sort of move. It's just far too risky using an early choice for a safety and then trying to convert him to linebacker. Seattle tried something similar with Michael Boulware, a very talented athlete, and it just never worked. Boulware was a college linebacker. The Seahawks moved him to safety. Boulware showed promise as a nickel linebacker early in his career. He just never became a consistent, confident safety.
Rich from San Francisco writes: Hey Mike, love the blog (it's gotten me back to regularly checking espn.com). Anyway, there's been a lot of talk about the Niners having to improve their line, and I agree that we need to upgrade, especially at right tackle. But Barry Sims filled in admirably for Joe Staley last season and Tony Pashos was a solid run blocker. Pashos is gone, and Sims remains unsigned. If the line is such a priority, why aren't the niners focusing on getting some of their more reliable blockers back? Personally, I would feel a lot better about our chances next season with Sims on the roster. He's a great backup and could provide our new rookie a safety net. What do you think?
Mike Sando: Barry Sims had to be a very pleasant surprise for the 49ers last season. He stayed healthier and that made a big difference. I would agree that the 49ers would be better bringing him back as insurance. Tony Pashos was pretty one-dimensional because he couldn't easily swing from right to left tackle. Joe Staley said he really valued what Pashos brought to the team. I respect that, but never did I get the sense that Pashos would have been a solid option if left on the field for long stretches. That was just my feel. The 49ers should be able to upgrade their talent on the line through the draft. They are also thrilled to have Mike Solari coaching the line -- not only for what he brings to the position, but also for his background with Raye in Kansas City.
Tim from Springfield, Mo., writes: So, with Brady Quinn possibly on the trading block, what are the possibilities of trading Marc Bulger for him? He's still a young QB that could learn from A.J. Feeley, but with NFL experience that could potentially get started right away.
Mike Sando: Bulger's salary makes him virtually impossible to trade because the acquiring team would assume his $8.5 million salary. Bulger would have to be willing to reduce that number. He would probably be better off declining such a request, at which point the Rams would likely release him, allowing Bulger to pursue work on his terms, should he decide to keep playing.
Scott from Bremerton, Wash., writes: Sando, doesn't trading Seneca Wallace when we are in the midst of trying to shore up our receiving corps seem like a gross misappropriation of resources? If you are so willing to pull the plug on Seneca and ship him off, why wouldn't you first try to put him on the field as a playmaker? Seneca has had some success catching passes, and has always been talked about as a special-teams candidate to return kicks. Why not keep him and utilize him in that role? His salary is tiny, and a conditional seventh-rounder seems like almost 0 compensation.
Mike Sando: I will agree that the compensation is almost the same as releasing him. Wallace was a good receiver and returner -- for a quarterback. Would he have become good at those things relative to players who have filled those roles on a full-time basis for years? Hard to say. Wallace is definitely athletic enough.
Mike Sando: I hear you on Whisenhunt. He's really sharp and capable. He does project the feeling he's in control and things will be OK. And I do think the organization has a shot to do good things over the long term. Whisenhunt does know what he is doing. That is why I won't read too much into it if the Cardinals struggle some in 2010, a transitional season at quarterback.
Whisenhunt has generally fielded a well-coached team despite working at a disadvantage from a resources standpoint (the other teams in the division have 20-plus coaches apiece, compared to 16 for Arizona). Your confidence in him is justified. It still takes players, though, and quarterbacks in particular. If the Cardinals drop off this season, Whisenhunt won't be the reason (on a side note, it's also easy to forget that Matt Leinart played pretty well and nearly won the one game he started last season, losing to the Titans only when Tennessee put together a 99-yard drive to end the game).
Jess from Idaho Falls, Idaho, writes: I am just wondering why you are such a critic toward the Niners. It is pretty easy to see that they are the frontrunner in the West and as far as signing Carr, it is a great move. He has never been protected and I think he has a shot at starting. All we need is to draft a good tackle and this team is set to win the division, hands down.
Mike Sando: The easy thing to do would be to anoint the 49ers based on Kurt Warner's retirement. I don't think it's that simple. The 49ers appear to have a good chance to win the division. But if the Cardinals are nervous about going into a season with Leinart at quarterback, how should the 49ers feel going into a season with Alex Smith and David Carr as their top options? A little skepticism is a good thing.
Stu from Los Angeles writes: Hey Mike, with so many pressing needs (secondary, WR, offensive line etc.), am I the only one thinking that the Seahawks are beginning to fall behind quickly in the free-agent market? Also, with all the focus on Brandon Marshall, have we lost sight of other important needs?
Mike Sando: I thought Seattle might be a little more aggressive in the market, for sure. But I also realize this is a horrible market because more than 200 players failed to become unrestricted free agents once rules governing an uncapped year changed the requirements. Pete Carroll wants to go young. The vast majority of available UFAs are in their 30s, with a large number 35 or older. Those guys are available for a reason in most cases.
Stan from Burlington, Vt., writes: Yo Sando, lifelong Niners fan from the Northeast. David Carr. How similar will Jimmy Raye's offensive system be to other systems he has run in the past? I personally love this move by the Niners as I am not sold on Alex Smith. I also have the pleasure of watching the Giants on a consistent basis. And I'll tell you what, the few snaps I've seen Carr take, I was impressed. He throws with a lot more zip and confidence than Smith. Love your work.
Mike Sando: Thanks, Stan. They 49ers' decision to sign David Carr at Shaun Hill's expense shows the team felt Hill had maxed out. I think the 49ers were right about that, too. The question is whether Carr makes them better. We know Carr makes them more talented. The tradeoff appealed to the 49ers.
Chris Palmer was the Texans' offensive coordinator when Carr broke into the league. Palmer had run-and-shoot roots with the Oilers teams of the early 1990s. He also has roots in the Bill Parcells coaching tree. I don't know how much overlap there would be between the offenses Carr has run and the one the 49ers are running under Jimmy Raye. That is something I'll find out. Off the top of my head, I do think there would be more similarities than if the 49ers were running, say, a West Coast-based offense (the offenses Palmer has installed were numbers-based, whereas West Coast systems are color-coded).
Brandon from Phoenix writes: Hey, Mike, really enjoy your work. You do a great job on the NFC West. Question for you. Where does Mel Kiper have the Cards going in the first round? I'm torn on either a defensive tackle or linebacker, depending on if we get Joey Porter and/or Larry Foote maybe. They do need a young defensive tackle, run stuffer, hole clogger for the 3-4. Is the LB depth strong enough to pass on taking one in the first round?
Mike Sando: Adding Porter and/or Foote would provide some flexibility heading into the draft. We covered ground on this subject recently when noting that Kiper had the Cardinals selecting linebacker Jerry Hughes. Kiper previously had Arizona selecting Tennessee nose tackle Dan Williams, but Williams wasn't available at No. 26 in Kiper's updated mock.
Jay from Mount Vernon, Wash., writes: Hey Mike, all the talk about changing the overtime rules seems to ignore an obvious point in my mind. Why not just play a 7-minute timed overtime period? I've never liked how overtime is so different from the end of the fourth quarter in a close game where the 2-minute drill is a huge factor. As it is, overtime is anti-climactic most of the time with teams taking the air out of the ball and playing for a field goal.
The frantic pace of the end game is one of the reasons the NFL is so great. Why doesn't anybody else think just an extra half-quarter for overtime is a good idea? P.S., just say NO to McNabb in Seattle. (And Clausen and Bradford for that matter). Build up the OL and DL!
Mike Sando: Interesting thought. Seven minutes would still be plenty of time for a team to take the air out of the ball and play for a field goal, though. I'm guessing most overtime games don't last that long.
Nils from Lincoln, Neb., writes: As I understand it, part of the complaint is that kicking off from the 30 means an average starting point of the 35, which means a short field to a field goal. Why not just move the kickoff spot back to the 35 or 40 in OT? You maintain the drama of sudden death, but you force the team to drive 65 yards to get a field goal.
Mike Sando: Indeed, overtime did become more predictable after the NFL moved kickoffs back to facilitate returns. Former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Ira Miller advocated this years ago and drove home the point in a recent note to Lowell Cohn. His case sounds compelling.
Trevor from Edmonds, Wash., writes: Hey Sando, thanks for reading. Wanted to know your thoughts on the Rams offering Oshiomogho Atogwe the lowest possible tender and what his options are going to be as a restricted free agent. I know his play tailed off a little last year, but this is still a young/playmaking safety. As a Seahawk fan whose team needs a young/playmaking safety and who has seen Atogwe play really well against Seattle in the past, it seems to make too much sense to use a low-round pick to go get him. Is there something I'm missing?
Mike Sando: You're correct about Atogwe playing well against Seattle. I thought he played very well at Qwest Field in the opener last season. The only thing you're missing right now is the fact that the Rams could match any offer Seattle made. The Rams will have to up their offer to nearly $7 million if they want to retain Atogwe's rights past June 1. Perhaps the Rams work out a trade before then. Perhaps teams with interest in Atogwe will wait to see if the Rams let him go.
Michael from Los Angeles writes: Hey Sando, if the Cardinals were going to draft an outside linebacker as many analysts think, what are the chances, if any, we pick up Taylor Mays if he falls to us? He has ridiculous speed and is big enough to be a linebacker, and as a USC student, I have come to realize he isn't a great safety, just a great athlete. Give me some hope.
Mike Sando: I can't endorse that sort of move. It's just far too risky using an early choice for a safety and then trying to convert him to linebacker. Seattle tried something similar with Michael Boulware, a very talented athlete, and it just never worked. Boulware was a college linebacker. The Seahawks moved him to safety. Boulware showed promise as a nickel linebacker early in his career. He just never became a consistent, confident safety.
Rich from San Francisco writes: Hey Mike, love the blog (it's gotten me back to regularly checking espn.com). Anyway, there's been a lot of talk about the Niners having to improve their line, and I agree that we need to upgrade, especially at right tackle. But Barry Sims filled in admirably for Joe Staley last season and Tony Pashos was a solid run blocker. Pashos is gone, and Sims remains unsigned. If the line is such a priority, why aren't the niners focusing on getting some of their more reliable blockers back? Personally, I would feel a lot better about our chances next season with Sims on the roster. He's a great backup and could provide our new rookie a safety net. What do you think?
Mike Sando: Barry Sims had to be a very pleasant surprise for the 49ers last season. He stayed healthier and that made a big difference. I would agree that the 49ers would be better bringing him back as insurance. Tony Pashos was pretty one-dimensional because he couldn't easily swing from right to left tackle. Joe Staley said he really valued what Pashos brought to the team. I respect that, but never did I get the sense that Pashos would have been a solid option if left on the field for long stretches. That was just my feel. The 49ers should be able to upgrade their talent on the line through the draft. They are also thrilled to have Mike Solari coaching the line -- not only for what he brings to the position, but also for his background with Raye in Kansas City.
Tim from Springfield, Mo., writes: So, with Brady Quinn possibly on the trading block, what are the possibilities of trading Marc Bulger for him? He's still a young QB that could learn from A.J. Feeley, but with NFL experience that could potentially get started right away.
Mike Sando: Bulger's salary makes him virtually impossible to trade because the acquiring team would assume his $8.5 million salary. Bulger would have to be willing to reduce that number. He would probably be better off declining such a request, at which point the Rams would likely release him, allowing Bulger to pursue work on his terms, should he decide to keep playing.
Scott from Bremerton, Wash., writes: Sando, doesn't trading Seneca Wallace when we are in the midst of trying to shore up our receiving corps seem like a gross misappropriation of resources? If you are so willing to pull the plug on Seneca and ship him off, why wouldn't you first try to put him on the field as a playmaker? Seneca has had some success catching passes, and has always been talked about as a special-teams candidate to return kicks. Why not keep him and utilize him in that role? His salary is tiny, and a conditional seventh-rounder seems like almost 0 compensation.
Mike Sando: I will agree that the compensation is almost the same as releasing him. Wallace was a good receiver and returner -- for a quarterback. Would he have become good at those things relative to players who have filled those roles on a full-time basis for years? Hard to say. Wallace is definitely athletic enough.
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Hannan from Hershey, Pa., writes: Hey Mike, I've been reading your blog and I had this wacky thought for next year. What if the Seahawks switched to a 3-4 scheme with Jim Mora Jr.? Think about it, we have Kerney on one end, Jackson/Tapp on the other. We can let R. Bernard walk in free agency, I think Mebane has earned a starting job. J. Peterson can be our pass rushing OLB, while Hill (he must be resigned), Tatupu, and another ILB to be named (possibly DD Lewis) can stop the run. It's a crazy and bold idea, but to me it makes sense.
Mike Sando: The Seahawks are looking at coordinator candidates with 3-4 backgrounds, but Jim Mora will run the defense. His background is with the 4-3.
This sets up the possibility of at least running hybrid-type schemes or having the flexibility to use some 3-4 fronts and packages. I see no advantage in making a full conversion to a 3-4, based on the personnel and based on Mora's background.
Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp aren't nearly as big or physical as the typical 3-4 defensive ends. Brandon Mebane might be able to play the nose, but the rest of it would be a stretch on a full-time conversion, in my view.
Running a hybrid defense sounds good in theory, though I would rather have a defense play one style effectively than two styles less effectively.
Rich from Bellevue, Wash., writes: Heya, Mr. Mike. About the Cards-Panthers game this weekend. Everyone is talking about how the Cardinals' defense will have to match its intensity and discipline and all from last week in order to have a chance this week. But is that really realistic? How much of last week's heroic defensive effort was due to intensity and discipline, and how much was due to them having a "tell" that let them anticipate the snap? Since they won't have that against Carolina, how much of a chance do they really have to match up?
Mike Sando: The Cardinals' ability to get a jump off the snap helped but was not necessarily the difference in that game against the Falcons. More broadly, though, I do think it's unrealistic to expect the Arizona defense to have the same energy level for a full game, minus the home crowd. But we shall see.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
