Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 62 First Roster Look: QB’s and RB’s
Welcome to the Hawks Playbook Podcast. Join your hosts Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as we look at this past weekend rookie mini-camp, and who stood out from among the almost 70 players at the camp. In the next segment, we start our 6-part series at a first look at each position group on the team and include our drafted and undrafted players.
Tuesday, May 8th: First Roster Look: QB’s and Running Backs
QB’s:
Russell Wilson, 5’11” 215lbs, (7th Season)
- Hard to believe Wilson entering 7th season and will turn 30 in 2018
- 64% career comp., 4 Pro Bowls, 22,176 total yards, 161 TD’s, 56 Int, 98.8 career rating.
- Rush: 578 Rush Attempts, 3275 yards, 16 rushing TD’s.
Austin Davis, 6’2” 221lbs, (7th Season)
- Davis has started 10 career games and completed 62% of his passes. Davis can manage a game, but Davis will not win many games for you on his own.
Alex McGough, 6’3” 214lbs (Rookie)
- McGough concluded his 4-year career with 9,091 yards passing, 65 TD’s and completed 65.4 % of his passes in 2017.
- Known for strong arm and accuracy and mobility within the pocket to extend plays. 4.70 Forty time.
- “The most talented Quarterback He’s had” ~ Butch Davis (Coach) (U of Miami, Cleveland)
Stephen Morris, 6’2” 219lbs (2nd Season)
- 63 Forty time.
- Set the school’s single-season total offense record with 3,415 yards, breaking Bernie Kosar’s 1984 record (3,412). Set the ACC record with 566 passing yards against N.C. State. Started all 13 contests in ’13, throwing for 198-344-3,028-21-12 (57.6). Became only the second QB in school history with multiple 3,000-yard seasons (Gino Torretta). Two-time team captain. Finished 17-13 in 30 career starts under three offensive coordinators — Mark Whipple (2010), Jedd Fisch (2011-12) and James Coley (2013).
Strengths
- Very good arm strength and athletic ability. Can move around the pocket and buy a second chance. Throws with velocity and can rifle the ball into tight spots. Can drill back-shoulder throws. Can adapt his arm and throwing platform and release it from a variety of angles under duress with ease. Has natural leadership traits.
RB’s:
Rashaad Penny, 5’11” 220lbs, San Diego St. (Rookie)
- 46 Forty Time. 3.32 yards per carry after contact at or behind the line of scrimmage.
- Penny broke 80 tackles on the ground last season and two more as a receiver. That figure was by far the most of anybody in this draft class, 20 more than the rest of the field.
- While it’s true that some of that was a product of workload (he had 276 carries last season), even in terms of broken tackle rate he again led the draft class.
- Strength of opponent is certainly something of a question for Penny, but he was able to run well against legitimate defenses and excelled at the Senior Bowl against all-star competition.
- Penny had 31 runs of 15 or more yards last season to – again – lead the draft class. He gained over 1,000 rushing yards on these explosive runs alone, almost 300 more than any other runner, and while again it’s true that this is influenced by the sheer volume of carries he had, his breakaway percentage was good enough for third in the class (54.5 percent), just behind Barkley (55.6 percent).
- If there is one legitimate criticism of Penny’s game, it’s pass protection and blitz pickup, something he himself acknowledges and claims to be working hard on before the draft.
- **Kick returner.
Chris Carson, 5’11” 218lbs, Oak. St. (2nd Season)
- Chris Carson looked really good behind arguably the worst run blocking offensive line in the history of professional football.
- Seahawks averaged just 0.63 yards before contact on outside zone runs, the 10th-least in the league.
- 29% of Seahawks runs where stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage
Mike Davis, 5’9” 217lbs, S. Carolina (4th Season)
- Mike Davis spent the first 10-11 weeks on practice squad
- Davis has amazing juke move (similar to crossover in basketball)
- Competent receiver coming out of the backfield
CJ Prosise, 6’1” 225lbs, Notre Dame (3rd Season)
- Can CJ Prosise overcome injury history to appear on the football field?
JD McKissic, 5’10” 195lbs, Ark. St. (2nd Season)
- Undersized 3rd down back receiving out of the back field and lined up wide. Possible kick return capability.
FB’s:
Jalston Fowler, 5’11”, 254lbs. Alabama (4th Season)
- Has spent his first 3 seasons with the Tennessee Titan’s.
Tre Madden, 6’1” 220lbs, USC (3rd Season)
- Tre is an undersized fullback conversion from tailback at USC. While he originally had some upside as a running back, his conversion by the Seahawks to Fullback over the course of his first two seasons has not met expectations. In addition, prior to this season The Seahawks simply have not utilized the Fullback position in their offensive scheme while Madden has been here. But given the other players on the list, and the perception that Seattle may want to go with a tradition prototype body at fullback, Madden may be looking at becoming a camp casualty.
Khalid Hill, 6’2” 258lbs, Michigan (Rookie)
- Undrafted Free Agent signing after the draft, Hill is a prototypical NFL fullback. He brings experience, youth and team control to the position for the Seahawks and may have the inside track to be the fullback on the team after the team cuts down the roster to 53 players after preseason.
Marcus Martin, 6’1”, 240lbs, Slippery Rock U. (Rookie)
- Division 2 Defensive Player of the Year as a Defensive End. Owns division 2 all-time sack leader record at 54.5 career sacks.
- A small school defensive end who is undersized and slow with a 4.78 Forty time, most NFL teams were asking Martin to switch position to fullback. Seattle was one of those teams, and without a clear starter coming into this season, Martin chose the Seahawks as as good as any team to try to make it on to an NFL roster.
Close: Thanks again for joining Keith and I for the show. Be sure to come back next week when we take a look at the Wide Receivers and Tight Ends.
Go Hawks!!
