RiverDog wrote:When I read this article, I had to share this article with you guys:
Here’s (ESPN analyst Bill) Barnwell’s rationale for making Seattle’s standout corner his frontrunner for the DROY award at the season’s midpoint:
Nobody on the Seahawks can feel good about getting blown out in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon, but that’s not going to define Seattle’s season. Witherspoon has very conspicuously emerged as a force in the secondary, settling in and immediately looking like a veteran.
After missing the Week 1 loss to the Rams with an injury, he has been virtually an every-down players. He made 11 tackles in the win over the Panthers, but his coming-out party was in Week 4, when he tormented the Giants for 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback knockdowns and a 97-yard pick-12 to put the game to bed. He followed that with a viral hit on Rondale Moore against the Cardinals, albeit on a play that produced a first down.
The Seahawks started with Witherspoon playing outside before moving him into the slot, which speaks to a flexibility that we almost never see from rookie corners. He has been great in both places. He has been targeted 51 times as the nearest defender in coverage, allowing just 5.4 yards per target while giving up two touchdowns in eight games. The only cornerbacks with 200 or more coverage snaps who have allowed fewer yards per target this season are Xavien Howard and L’Jarius Sneed.
Seattle still is a heavy zone team, so Witherspoon isn’t the sort of traveling man-coverage defender we associate with the league’s best corners, but he’s off to a spectacular start.
The comments below are from Frank T. Raines:
I’ll add to Barnwell’s research, using the same 200 snaps criteria:
Among cornerbacks with at least 200 snaps, Witherspoon has the 6th-lowest passer rating allowed at 56.7
His 6 pass breakups (PBUs) are tied for the 4th-most league-wide
Witherspoon’s overall score on PFF (80.2) is the league’s 10th-best, his coverage grade (77.7) is 15th-best, and his pass-rush grade (91.2) is tied for No. 1
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/es ... e0fa&ei=36
It's obviously, way, way too early to break out the anointing oil. But I'm going to go way out on a limb. At this point, just halfway through his rookie season, it is my judgement that Witherspoon is the best first round selection we've made in the Pete Carroll era, meaning that I'll put him ahead of Earl Thomas.
RiverDog wrote:When I read this article, I had to share this article with you guys:
Here’s (ESPN analyst Bill) Barnwell’s rationale for making Seattle’s standout corner his frontrunner for the DROY award at the season’s midpoint:
Nobody on the Seahawks can feel good about getting blown out in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon, but that’s not going to define Seattle’s season. Witherspoon has very conspicuously emerged as a force in the secondary, settling in and immediately looking like a veteran.
After missing the Week 1 loss to the Rams with an injury, he has been virtually an every-down players. He made 11 tackles in the win over the Panthers, but his coming-out party was in Week 4, when he tormented the Giants for 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback knockdowns and a 97-yard pick-12 to put the game to bed. He followed that with a viral hit on Rondale Moore against the Cardinals, albeit on a play that produced a first down.
The Seahawks started with Witherspoon playing outside before moving him into the slot, which speaks to a flexibility that we almost never see from rookie corners. He has been great in both places. He has been targeted 51 times as the nearest defender in coverage, allowing just 5.4 yards per target while giving up two touchdowns in eight games. The only cornerbacks with 200 or more coverage snaps who have allowed fewer yards per target this season are Xavien Howard and L’Jarius Sneed.
Seattle still is a heavy zone team, so Witherspoon isn’t the sort of traveling man-coverage defender we associate with the league’s best corners, but he’s off to a spectacular start.
The comments below are from Frank T. Raines:
I’ll add to Barnwell’s research, using the same 200 snaps criteria:
Among cornerbacks with at least 200 snaps, Witherspoon has the 6th-lowest passer rating allowed at 56.7
His 6 pass breakups (PBUs) are tied for the 4th-most league-wide
Witherspoon’s overall score on PFF (80.2) is the league’s 10th-best, his coverage grade (77.7) is 15th-best, and his pass-rush grade (91.2) is tied for No. 1
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/es ... e0fa&ei=36
It's obviously, way, way too early to break out the anointing oil. But I'm going to go way out on a limb. At this point, just halfway through his rookie season, it is my judgement that Witherspoon is the best first round selection we've made in the Pete Carroll era, meaning that I'll put him ahead of Earl Thomas.
4XPIPS wrote:Whoa Whoa pump the brakes, I know it's early but let's see at the end of the season. If we are just judging the rookie season alone then I would say Bruce Irvin deserves to be in that conversation. He had 8 sacks as a rookie, and one in the playoffs. I wouldn't usurp Earl Thomas as of yet, but he did have a solid rookie 2010 campaign, with 5 ints for a safety.
RiverDog wrote:Bruce Irvin? You gotta be kidding me! Yes, Irvin was a decent pass rusher, but he got trucked on the run. In that playoff game vs. Atlanta when Irvin replaced an injured Chris Clemmons, it looked like he was playing with roller skates on. He couldn't carry Witherspoon's jockstrap.
The only first round pick...and we haven't had all that many because Pete has traded a number of them away...that is in the discussion along with 'Spoon is ET. Expand that to all draft picks and you can toss in Bobby, Russell, Sherman, Kam, et al.
RiverDog wrote:Bruce Irvin? You gotta be kidding me! Yes, Irvin was a decent pass rusher, but he got trucked on the run. In that playoff game vs. Atlanta when Irvin replaced an injured Chris Clemmons, it looked like he was playing with roller skates on. He couldn't carry Witherspoon's jockstrap.
The only first round pick...and we haven't had all that many because Pete has traded a number of them away...that is in the discussion along with 'Spoon is ET. Expand that to all draft picks and you can toss in Bobby, Russell, Sherman, Kam, et al.
Aseahawkfan wrote:Spoon is looking good. But a lot of other highly touted players are falling off making the past drafts look not as good.
Lucas is sitting on IR.
Riq is nowhere near last year.
KW3 still doing well enough.
I think RD said Cross is a middling LT at best according to ratings.
Boye Mafe is doing pretty well.
Charbonnett isn't getting many snaps, but doing ok.
Derrick Hall is doing nothing.
RiverDog wrote:Bruce Irvin? You gotta be kidding me! Yes, Irvin was a decent pass rusher, but he got trucked on the run. In that playoff game vs. Atlanta when Irvin replaced an injured Chris Clemmons, it looked like he was playing with roller skates on. He couldn't carry Witherspoon's jockstrap.
The only first round pick...and we haven't had all that many because Pete has traded a number of them away...that is in the discussion along with 'Spoon is ET. Expand that to all draft picks and you can toss in Bobby, Russell, Sherman, Kam, et al.
4XPIPS wrote:You said first round picks, so I kept as first round picks. Look Bruce deserves some consideration, if you are just going by 1st round picks then it has to be. You can reflect on Bruce getting trucked, but Spoon has been beat by Amon-Ra St Brown in direct coverage.
1a Earl Thomas 1b Spoon
2 Bruce Irvin (honorable mention)
I mean who else would be in there, Russell Okung? He was so injured early on.
Season is long and there is still time to evaluate that Spoon is the legit best 1st round pick in the Pete Carroll era. The only thing working against Spoon is he can become a victim of his own success. Look at Sauce Gardner, he was so good early on that later in the season teams stopped throwing his way and his stats did drop, but then again that is product of his abilities.
It's pretty sad considering we have made quite a bit of 1st round picks that are either out of this league or flamed out and on other rosters.
RiverDog wrote:
Yes, I'd put Okung above Irvin as at least he made a Pro Bowl. Irvin never got a sniff at one. I'd also put Jordy Brooks ahead of Irvin, too. Just my humble opinion.
RiverDog wrote:
Yes, I'd put Okung above Irvin as at least he made a Pro Bowl. Irvin never got a sniff at one. I'd also put Jordy Brooks ahead of Irvin, too. Just my humble opinion.
4XPIPS wrote:I value your opinion, but the body of work by comparison of what Spoon has done up to this point by comparison to our other 1st rounders. Since Jordy Brooks have been drafted our defense has been in the tank with 3rd downs and stopping the run. To this point of the season by comparison must of us were pretty high on Bruce Irvin, given that he was selected much higher than expected and came into the league with off field issues.
I do agree if he continues to light it up and make stake his name as a top DB in this league, Spoon will go down as the best 1st round pick in the Pete & JS era
NorthHawk wrote:What sticks in my craw is we traded down past Fletcher Cox to select Irvin.
I thought it was a mistake then and you just have to look at both careers to see how they compare.
4XPIPS wrote:I would not want to undo any of that draft no matter how it shakes out. That draft brought our only Superbowl Win. That draft got us
Russ
Bobby
Sweezy
What is interesting about that year's draft was Justin Tucker and Johnny Hekker both were undrafted that year, and look at their careers.
I would say we did take Jaye Howard over Mike Daniels in the later rounds, that could have been better for us, but none the less leave that draft alone.
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