Paul Richardson

[Irish Greg 2.0]

I thought bringing the Lombardi to Seattle for the first time would kill a lot of the nickel and dime second guessing of our front office.

Silly me.

I think some of you guys are so used to having something to complain about with this franchise it's hard to break away from that habit.

Check back with me in 2016 and I'll let you know what I think about this draft. Give it a chance to breathe.

[curmudgeon]

+1!!

[HumanCockroach]

I thought bringing the Lombardi to Seattle for the first time would kill a lot of the nickel and dime second guessing of our front office.

Silly me.

I think some of you guys are so used to having something to complain about with this franchise it's hard to break away from that habit.

Check back with me in 2016 and I'll let you know what I think about this draft. Give it a chance to breathe.

You would think so.....

[obiken]

I think money was the motivator of this years draft. Their board had Lee rated as a 7.0 over Richardson at 6.49. Come on that shows me the motivation was money, not talent. Or the best talent for the money.

[NorthHawk]

I think money was the motivator of this years draft. Their board had Lee rated as a 7.0 over Richardson at 6.49. Come on that shows me the motivation was money, not talent. Or the best talent for the money.

How do you know how their board was set up?

[Eaglehawk]

Hey do you believe that stuff about missing the easy catches? I'm not so sure I do.

It happened in a big game, in a big spot last year, where he dropped an EASY sure thing touchdown. .

Thanks Monkey. It is amazing how the media can focus on the one drop when the guy makes easily 10 spectacular catches during the reg season, not to mention his regular catches.

[obiken]

Their board is posted NCH.

[RiverDog]

I thought bringing the Lombardi to Seattle for the first time would kill a lot of the nickel and dime second guessing of our front office.

Silly me.

I think some of you guys are so used to having something to complain about with this franchise it's hard to break away from that habit.

Check back with me in 2016 and I'll let you know what I think about this draft. Give it a chance to breathe.

1. When am I suppose to check back about the Carpenter pick? I seem to remember a number of you telling me to chill out after that draft.

2. If I don't have something to complain about, I'll implode. Watch out wife and watch out dogs if I don't have someplace to vent.

[NorthHawk]

Their board is posted NCH.

I spent an hour looking for it, but can't seem to find it.
A link would be much appreciated.

In looking for it, I stumbled upon this blog which discusses the picks somewhat at length as well as the draft philosophy and how they select players. You and others might find it interesting.

http://seahawksdraftblog.com

[HumanCockroach]

I think money was the motivator of this years draft. Their board had Lee rated as a 7.0 over Richardson at 6.49. Come on that shows me the motivation was money, not talent. Or the best talent for the money.

How do you figure? There WAS a name submitted prior to the trade of pick 32, and that name was Richardson, Lee was available, and yet the pick at 32 wasn't going to be Lee, it was Richardson, per both Carroll and Schneider, so the money wasn't the deciding factor. Were do you get this stuff? Per Pete and John, a big receiver is desired, but they are NOT going to force the issue, so you can read that a couple ways, the money isn't a concern as there always a way to make this stuff work, and unless the theory is that the couple hundred thousand a year they save was such a big deal ( in which case you should be FAR more worried about the dire financial straits the Seahawks are in, not the players they choose) that they passed, OR that PC and Schneider are bald faced liars, and they either felt like Lee at 32 wasn't worth that rank ( in which case they made the RIGHT choice anyway) or that they could have him later at 40 and simply missed ( which happens to every team and GM), though I kind of doubt it.

what I see happening is serious Jones for Lee and somehow need to balance in your own mind why they chose another player over Lee not once but twice. Lee's a fine receiver, but they OBVIOUSLY did not valUE him near as high as you do. Seems like every year, Seahawks fans feel the need to do this stuff, because they "know best" which makes little sense, and even less coming off a Lombardi.

[RiverDog]

[ Seems like every year, Seahawks fans feel the need to do this stuff, because they "know best" which makes little sense, and even less coming off a Lombardi.

If you are going to play the Lombardi card, we might as well close this place and board it up because you can use the fact that we won the SB to defeat any and all arguments that offer even the slightest criticism. No one is claiming that they "know best", we're just exercising our right to sit in our armchairs and beech. It's the American way.

[Eaglehawk]

We're all a bunch of armchair quarterbacks/coaches, even if you don't want to admit it

[Eaglehawk]

edit: double

[Irish Greg 2.0]

I thought bringing the Lombardi to Seattle for the first time would kill a lot of the nickel and dime second guessing of our front office.

Silly me.

I think some of you guys are so used to having something to complain about with this franchise it's hard to break away from that habit.

Check back with me in 2016 and I'll let you know what I think about this draft. Give it a chance to breathe.

1. When am I suppose to check back about the Carpenter pick? I seem to remember a number of you telling me to chill out after that draft.

2. If I don't have something to complain about, I'll implode. Watch out wife and watch out dogs if I don't have someplace to vent.

Our front office, like EVERY FRONT OFFICE IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME, has made some mistakes. Carpenter is one of them. We have plenty to make that assessment now; we sure don't on Richardson, which is why it's silly to pooh pooh him.

But if there is one GM/Coach tandem in this league that deserves the benefit of the doubt, ours is it.

The other issue is...our roster is already stacked. John Schneider talked about this when he first got the job, that it was their goal to make it extremely difficult to pick the final 53. We are there now.

[HumanCockroach]

[ Seems like every year, Seahawks fans feel the need to do this stuff, because they "know best" which makes little sense, and even less coming off a Lombardi.

If you are going to play the Lombardi card, we might as well close this place and board it up because you can use the fact that we won the SB to defeat any and all arguments that offer even the slightest criticism. No one is claiming that they "know best", we're just exercising our right to sit in our armchairs and beech. It's the American way.

Suppose you can lead a horse to water, and all of that.

I'm inclined to enjoy things when they are good, not bash the hand that feeds me. You want to complain for the sake of it? Carry on, but expect for people to point out the obvious, which is the Seahawks currently have the most talented ( or at least one of) rosters in the league, and the people that PUT that roster together, happens to be the men you and a few others can't seem to stop beeching about.

Honestly it's like watching a homeless starving man complain about how his feast has been prepared. SMFH.

[NorthHawk]

Expressing opinions is one of the best things about being a fan. It comes along with the passion for the Seahawks.

Speaking for myself, I want us to dominate the league and especially within our division.
With that in mind, I see some holes that need to be patched or at least some weaknesses that have to be addressed if we are to improve. Our biggest competitor, SF looks like they should be better.
I think we will be, too but I am concerned our greatest weakness from last year might still be suspect.
That being said, perhaps our new WRs and a healthy Harvin can make up for the shortfall along the OL with explosive plays.

I hope this draft gives us 3 starters on Offense in Britt, Norwood, and Richardson. If they do make it as such it would be an extremely successful draft considering the existing talent pool.
Marsh might be a wildcard as JS and PC said he will be looked at as a TE or H-Back in the Red Zone along with playing on the DL.
In any event it's going to be interesting to see how things develop.

[HumanCockroach]

Pretty confident neither rookie receiver will be a starter ( not entirely sure both even make the team to be honest) probably going to keep 5 maybe 6 Baldwin, Harvin will be the starters ( do you really see that not happening?) Kearse isn't going anywhere which limits time on the field, I'm down with them contributing, but starting? Just don't see it. As for Britt, I think he has a better chance to latch onto a starting role, but it seems to me, people are putting way to much expectations on a mid andlate second round choice on a SB champion team. I would LIKE to see Britt come in and dominate ( doubtful) but the receivers? Just don't follow the logic on that one.

very much it seems people expect the "first" pick to walk in and be rookie of the year, each and every season, whether they go at the top of round one, or pick 48. Seems flawed to me. So many players at the TOP of the draft flame out, or are average to poor starters, yet somehow the bottom of the first or first pick in the second should be? Just don't get the thought process on that.....

[Zorn76]

Our WR starters are more or less set.

I'm just looking for Richardson and Norwood to make the most out of the opportunities given.
PR may end up taking over punt return duties in lieu of Tate's departure. The key there would be that he doesn't "force" returns, i.e. not call a fair catch even though it's the better decision. Conversely, we don't want him to wave his hand in the air when he clearly has room to run.

Norwood ran a decent 40 (4.48), and had a solid two seasons with Alabama against some pretty stiff competition. He seems to have a clutch factor to him as well.

Given our (unfortunate) injury history at the position, we may end up seeing more of these guys than we'd like. Hopefully, though, their snap count is relatively low due to Harvin and Rice having healthy seasons for a change:)
My biggest hope remains for the OL. If we get one good starter there out of this draft or through an UDFA, then I'll consider this offseason more or less a success.

If you look back at last year's draft, you'll see that it wasn't a huge success, per say, but we didn't have a ton of holes to fill to begin with. Same story with this year, though we need a couple of new guys to step up to protect RW.

[HumanCockroach]

Yeah it certainly speaks to how hard it is to get significant playing time on this team when the only two real contributors at all are a backup TE selected late and a line player that was drafted in the 7th round . Players will be replaced, and playing time will be gained, but I do believe the theory with a team this stocked is you draft for two years down the road, when players leave,or retire or age. Maxwell didn't play for two seasons, if the Seahawks had drafted him in the third ( which is where they ranked him) people would have had the same dissapointment, would they do that now? Kind of doubt it. Some of these guys won't pan out, just the way it is, however if you get 3-4 of starting quality players two years down the road, you've done a hell of a Job..

Will people be upset 3 years from Michaels is running for 1500 yards a season that he was drafted with the first pick when they passed over the mediocre lineman they were pining for? Or get upset when the receiver they had a man crush on flames out of the league? How about if Harvin drops an MVP down next season, will the price still not be worth it?

that's the thing about this stuff, people tend to "forget" conveniently stuff like that a year or two down the road if it pans out, and laud the FO for it's choices, if it doesn't work out, they claim to have known better, and say " I told you it was a mistake" like they are some sort of genious ( and more often than not have forgotten about the guy they wanted so badly, who happens to be less productive than the guy not working out for the Hawks). Takes TIME folks, ESPECIALLY on a team this good. You think NE fans are chastising Bill for taking a QB? Nope. At some point you have to trust the FO.... Maybe that comes after the Hawks threePETE who knows

[RiverDog]

I thought bringing the Lombardi to Seattle for the first time would kill a lot of the nickel and dime second guessing of our front office.

Silly me.

I think some of you guys are so used to having something to complain about with this franchise it's hard to break away from that habit.

Check back with me in 2016 and I'll let you know what I think about this draft. Give it a chance to breathe.

1. When am I suppose to check back about the Carpenter pick? I seem to remember a number of you telling me to chill out after that draft.

2. If I don't have something to complain about, I'll implode. Watch out wife and watch out dogs if I don't have someplace to vent.

Our front office, like EVERY FRONT OFFICE IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME, has made some mistakes. Carpenter is one of them. We have plenty to make that assessment now; we sure don't on Richardson, which is why it's silly to pooh pooh him.

But if there is one GM/Coach tandem in this league that deserves the benefit of the doubt, ours is it.

The other issue is...our roster is already stacked. John Schneider talked about this when he first got the job, that it was their goal to make it extremely difficult to pick the final 53. We are there now.

Success does not exempt them from well reasoned criticism, and my criticism of this particular selection should not be used to imply any overall unhappiness towards the management of this team. Quite the contrary, I am extremely pleased. Who wouldn't be?

As far as the overall strength of our roster goes, yes, it is indeed stacked when you compare it to the other 31 teams. But we do have weaknesses that must be addressed if we expect to repeat, a feat that is extremely difficult and compounded by the fact that we now find ourselves in the toughest division in football. We can't rest on our laurels.

[obiken]

Exactly River, you win the title like I said to HCR on the other thread, it doesn't matter how. I like PC as a coach, just don't like his drafting, that's all.

Look at KC, they took De Anthony Thomas in the 4th round, this was a major reach, DAT was a 6 rounder at best, and I am saying that as a Duck alum, as you well know. He is way to small, and has had no team focus once CK left for Philly. He doesn't really have a position, and will get squished like a bug. He is small for RB, and doesn't catch the ball that well to be a WR. They just fell in love with speed. One thing about DAT he is fast in or out of a FB suit, some guys just aren't. So they must really need a kick returner. 176 Lbs is just too light in the NFL. Jarius Bird, who played for Oregon and KC said on the Oregonian forum, that he felt that DAT should stay in school and bulk up for a year, it saved his life!! He said those guys in the NFL are MEN and the pain you take in Pro FB is nothing like that in College. That is just one example and we are not the only team that reaches. A better reach is the LB out of Stanford who the Skins took in the first round, Trent Murphy, you don't have to convince me as a Duck this guy is relentless!! As a 2nd round though a reach, but not as bad as KC taking DAT or the Hawks taking Richardson.
Remember everyone, we live in the greatest country in the world, we have still made a lot of mistakes. Even the best can improve.

[monkey]

Seems like a good place for me to remind everyone again: we all have seen a Seahawks GM take the player we all hoped he'd take, the player who the mediots told us was the best.


His name was Aaron Curry.

[kalibane]

If you are going to play the Lombardi card, we might as well close this place and board it up because you can use the fact that we won the SB to defeat any and all arguments that offer even the slightest criticism. No one is claiming that they "know best", we're just exercising our right to sit in our armchairs and beech. It's the American way.

True it creates a circular argument if people keep going back to the well. On the other hand it's just as disingenuous to dismiss that thought out of hand. We're not 3 years past the Superbowl and still trying to rest on our laurels. We're 3 Months. Furthermore, we have gone through this every year for the past 4 seasons. The front office drafts. There is a collective "WTF?" People grouse and complain constantly all through the offseason. Then the next year the team improves.

This is why I said during the 2013 regular season that I'm not even going to attempt to figure out what the front office should do with the draft. Every year they inevitably take someone I would have never even thought of taking, a player that frankly I'm not too thrilled with. And every year (on the whole) they prove they know better than I do.

Remember how many people were upset about the Russell Wilson pick because they just signed Flynn? Sure there have been some bombs like Carp... but for the most part they have PROVEN that they get it right in terms of how to build a roster. It's not like they changed how they operated all of a sudden. Don't you think it's a little premature to get huffy until you see guys on the field? I can't pretend I'm excited about this draft but it's par for the course with this front office and it just seems like a waste of energy considering what these guys have done in the very recent past.

[monkey]

Even the mediots have finally gotten the message about prematurely knocking the Seahawks drafts.

[HumanCockroach]

Sometimes I wonder if people realise that if Seattle took e every player they and pundits think they should, they aren't even a .500 Team much less a SB winning team. SMH.

[RiverDog]

If you are going to play the Lombardi card, we might as well close this place and board it up because you can use the fact that we won the SB to defeat any and all arguments that offer even the slightest criticism. No one is claiming that they "know best", we're just exercising our right to sit in our armchairs and beech. It's the American way.

True it creates a circular argument if people keep going back to the well. On the other hand it's just as disingenuous to dismiss that thought out of hand. We're not 3 years past the Superbowl and still trying to rest on our laurels. We're 3 Months. Furthermore, we have gone through this every year for the past 4 seasons. The front office drafts. There is a collective "WTF?" People grouse and complain constantly all through the offseason. Then the next year the team improves.

This is why I said during the 2013 regular season that I'm not even going to attempt to figure out what the front office should do with the draft. Every year they inevitably take someone I would have never even thought of taking, a player that frankly I'm not too thrilled with. And every year (on the whole) they prove they know better than I do.

Remember how many people were upset about the Russell Wilson pick because they just signed Flynn? Sure there have been some bombs like Carp... but for the most part they have PROVEN that they get it right in terms of how to build a roster. It's not like they changed how they operated all of a sudden. Don't you think it's a little premature to get huffy until you see guys on the field? I can't pretend I'm excited about this draft but it's par for the course with this front office and it just seems like a waste of energy considering what these guys have done in the very recent past.

FYI I was not upset with the Wilson pick. I thought we took him a little bit early and felt we should have waited at least another round before we pulled the trigger. Boy, was I wrong. But so, too, was everyone else, including Pete and John. If they or anyone else knew that Russell was going to be as good as he is and as quickly as he did, they shouldn't have taken a chance on him slipping away to another team and taken him at #13 overall. However, having said that, it didn't take me long, like a matter of weeks, for me to warm up to RW and the use of a 3rd round pick after a few people like IG started lobbying me with a few stats and after I heard Russell in some interviews. I'll admit guilt about the Curry pick, too, but I had a whole lot of company, and it wasn't just the media that bought into the hype. It was about 95% of the old PI forum regulars, with the only one I can recall that objected being The Profit. We were all walking around with our flies unzipped.

Richardson is supposedly up to 183 lbs, says he'll be 190 by the time camp starts. He was as light as 158 lbs at Colorado. I'm not sure if I like that news or not. Is he going to be able to carry an extra 30 lbs and maintain uncompromised those attributes that made him attractive to us in the first place? Or is that extra weight going to make him just another dime a dozen wide receiver with an injury history and that has difficulty making the easy catches? I'd love to go to camp this summer and find out.

BTW, can this guy return punts?

[NorthHawk]

Richardson has indicated he wants to return punts, but he hasn't done much of it previously.

I heard Polian on NFL Radio this morning saying they had evolved to the point where the psychologist was the main determiner of who they would pick.
It was after they had whittled the options down from the skills, etc. but it was about team fit and ability to survive the NFL.

It's much like how Seattle selects its players.
Check out this link to get a good insight as to how we draft and what we look for.
The draft makes sense when this article is considered.

http://seahawksdraftblog.com

[kalibane]

Riv I wasn't accusing you personally but surely you remember people being upset or at least scratching their heads at the Wilson choice at the time. My basic point is that this is the pattern since Carroll has been here. The Seahawks never win the post draft headlines.

So the question in light of that fact becomes, "What reason do we have to believe that this year would be any different either in the actual execution of the draft or in the ultimate result?". I don't see much of a difference so I consequently don't see much of a reason to get in a snit over it just to come out with egg on my face for the fourth straight year.

If there is a particular player I strongly feel about who I would like them to take I'd mention it but I've pretty much given up investing any kind of emotion into the draft process with this front office.

[Eaglehawk]

You know NH,

Looking at the way he carries the ball, I have some concerns that the guy is going to be out of the gates another Thurmond. Did anyone else notice how far out he appears to carry the ball? I am sure he will be coached up, but I noticed the same with Thurmond, twice.

[monkey]

In no way do I ever think it's appropriate to shut down debate and well reasoned argument for blind faith in coaches...that's just stupid.

I just want us to also remember that, every year since Pete has arrived, the mediots and the "experts" have not gotten what the Seahawks are doing in the draft.
The Seahawks are looking for specific things that jump out at them, both physically and mentally.
They HIGHLY value SPARQ (Field Gulls and Rob Staton on the Seahawks draft blog have been making a point of showing just how much the Seahawks want elite athleticism http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-anal ... neider-nfl)

Equally as important, there are things the Seahawks want NO part of!
A lot of the guys we think they should have taken, those guys the Seahawks passed on that were rated ahead of the ones they took, just weren't the kinds of COMPETITORS the Seahawks are looking for.
Even if they ticked off every other box in terms of physicality, unless they are ultra competitive, the Seahawks will pass.
This is why the Seahawks took someone like Britt ahead of those other offensive linemen the mediots thought were better prospects.

Every year after these drafts we fans turn on each other because we're trying to balance the tension between admitting that the Seahawks front office isn't perfect, and can make mistakes, and that it's fair to criticize some of what they've done, with the fact that MOST of what they've done has been fantastic, so much so that the league has taken notice, and that they've won their first ever Super Bowl.

I LOATHE the phrase, in Pete we trust, because I find that to be epic-ally stupid and childish, while at the same time, I agree with the principle that Pete and co. have EARNED the right to be proven wrong before we start second guessing them too much. No blind trust, but an acknowledgement that they clearly know what they're doing...more than most of the rest of the league does in fact.

[NorthHawk]

In no way do I ever think it's appropriate to shut down debate and well reasoned argument for blind faith in coaches...that's just stupid.

I just want us to also remember that, every year since Pete has arrived, the mediots and the "experts" have not gotten what the Seahawks are doing in the draft.
The Seahawks are looking for specific things that jump out at them, both physically and mentally.
They HIGHLY value SPARQ (Field Gulls and Rob Staton on the Seahawks draft blog have been making a point of showing just how much the Seahawks want elite athleticism http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-anal ... neider-nfl)

Equally as important, there are things the Seahawks want NO part of!
A lot of the guys we think they should have taken, those guys the Seahawks passed on that were rated ahead of the ones they took, just weren't the kinds of COMPETITORS the Seahawks are looking for.
Even if they ticked off every other box in terms of physicality, unless they are ultra competitive, the Seahawks will pass.
This is why the Seahawks took someone like Britt ahead of those other offensive linemen the mediots thought were better prospects.

Every year after these drafts we fans turn on each other because we're trying to balance the tension between admitting that the Seahawks front office isn't perfect, and can make mistakes, and that it's fair to criticize some of what they've done, with the fact that MOST of what they've done has been fantastic, so much so that the league has taken notice, and that they've won their first ever Super Bowl.

I LOATHE the phrase, in Pete we trust, because I find that to be epic-ally stupid and childish, while at the same time, I agree with the principle that Pete and co. have EARNED the right to be proven wrong before we start second guessing them too much. No blind trust, but an acknowledgement that they clearly know what they're doing...more than most of the rest of the league does in fact.

I think not having a 3rd round pick might have influenced them to move on Britt when they did.
Just speculation, but even if he was at the top of their board right then, they might still have had him rated as a mid 3rd or early 4th however with no selections until the 4th they couldn't take a chance.
Having already lost out on Su a-Filo (if that is the guy they missed on) they couldn't take a chance Britt would still be there in the 4th at that point in the draft.

[NorthHawk]

In no way do I ever think it's appropriate to shut down debate and well reasoned argument for blind faith in coaches...that's just stupid.

I just want us to also remember that, every year since Pete has arrived, the mediots and the "experts" have not gotten what the Seahawks are doing in the draft.
The Seahawks are looking for specific things that jump out at them, both physically and mentally.
They HIGHLY value SPARQ (Field Gulls and Rob Staton on the Seahawks draft blog have been making a point of showing just how much the Seahawks want elite athleticism http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-anal ... neider-nfl)

Equally as important, there are things the Seahawks want NO part of!
A lot of the guys we think they should have taken, those guys the Seahawks passed on that were rated ahead of the ones they took, just weren't the kinds of COMPETITORS the Seahawks are looking for.
Even if they ticked off every other box in terms of physicality, unless they are ultra competitive, the Seahawks will pass.
This is why the Seahawks took someone like Britt ahead of those other offensive linemen the mediots thought were better prospects.

Every year after these drafts we fans turn on each other because we're trying to balance the tension between admitting that the Seahawks front office isn't perfect, and can make mistakes, and that it's fair to criticize some of what they've done, with the fact that MOST of what they've done has been fantastic, so much so that the league has taken notice, and that they've won their first ever Super Bowl.

I LOATHE the phrase, in Pete we trust, because I find that to be epic-ally stupid and childish, while at the same time, I agree with the principle that Pete and co. have EARNED the right to be proven wrong before we start second guessing them too much. No blind trust, but an acknowledgement that they clearly know what they're doing...more than most of the rest of the league does in fact.

edit:
Double post.

[monkey]

Having already lost out on Su a-Filo (if that is the guy they missed on) they couldn't take a chance Britt would still be there in the 4th at that point in the draft.

Although I highly doubt they were seriously looking at Su a-Filo, (I think he was both overrated, and not at all Seahawk-ish in terms of competitive and even less a fit for our ZBS blocking scheme plus this http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... ked-easley), I do agree with what you say about not having a third rounder possibly affecting their decision to just go ahead and take Britt where they did.

That seems very, very likely. If you don't want to miss out on that one guy you really covet, then you had better take him while you can regardless of the people who will whine about value later.
My own beef with it is that, I just think they overrated his value completely. My contention is that he would have still been available in the fourth round for sure, probably still available in the sixth round.
But, I agree with what you are saying there...and it's a good point. Strike while the iron is hot so to speak. It seems very likely that is just what the Seahawks did there.
Good point.

EDIT: I hadn't heard this before, but WOW...well before the draft, the guys at KJR radio had an interview with Doug Baldwin, where he specifically name dropped Richardson, as the type of player the Seahawks might be looking at to bring in. Check this out, the whole interview is worth a listen, or just fast forward to the 12:52 mark to get the mention in context. http://www.sportsradiokjr.com/media/pod ... -24750791/

[RiverDog]

Riv I wasn't accusing you personally but surely you remember people being upset or at least scratching their heads at the Wilson choice at the time. My basic point is that this is the pattern since Carroll has been here. The Seahawks never win the post draft headlines.

So the question in light of that fact becomes, "What reason do we have to believe that this year would be any different either in the actual execution of the draft or in the ultimate result?". I don't see much of a difference so I consequently don't see much of a reason to get in a snit over it just to come out with egg on my face for the fourth straight year.

If there is a particular player I strongly feel about who I would like them to take I'd mention it but I've pretty much given up investing any kind of emotion into the draft process with this front office.

I didn't take your comment as accusing me of being upset with the Wilson pick. I just took the opportunity to restate my feelings at the time.

I don't remember a whole lot of us Hawks fans being upset at the Wilson pick. It sometimes seems that 90% of us 12's would be happy with any pick Pete and John make. As I recall, most of the head scratching was done by the media, not those of us in the forum.

[NorthHawk]

Regarding the Wilson pick I think most of us at the PI Forum thought it was a good round to take a chance.
Pain_Train was wanting them to use our 1st pick, and I don't recall many thinking it wasn't worth a chance.
There was debate about his height, though. Maybe that's where some thought the pick was wasted.

[kalibane]

Really you don't remember that Flynn camp? True they completely disappeared by week six or seven but there were more than a few people who lamented wasting a pick on a "midget" when they just signed Flynn.

[burrrton]

Really you don't remember that Flynn camp? True they completely disappeared by week six or seven but there were more than a few people who lamented wasting a pick on a "midget" when they just signed Flynn.

I wouldn't really characterize myself as having been "in the Flynn camp", and I certainly never referred to Wilson in that way, but I was one of those who couldn't figure out why we'd use a 3rd-rd-pick on a QB when we just signed a high-priced FA.

Of course it all makes sense now...

And yeah, I'm also of the opinion that this front office has earned the benefit of the doubt for a while. I'm not against going back and forth about them, but I'm going to assume they have plans to which I'm not privy until I see reason to think otherwise.

[NorthHawk]

Really you don't remember that Flynn camp? True they completely disappeared by week six or seven but there were more than a few people who lamented wasting a pick on a "midget" when they just signed Flynn.

I forgot about the Flynn camp - I don't know how, but you're right.
There were quite a few believers in him as the savior.
I just don't remember people not thinking it was bad to take a chance in the 3rd on Wilson - rather it was better than a 2nd or 1st.
However, if I forgot about Flynn then I've probably forgot a lot about the discussions.

[RiverDog]

Really you don't remember that Flynn camp? True they completely disappeared by week six or seven but there were more than a few people who lamented wasting a pick on a "midget" when they just signed Flynn.

I suppose you might characterize me as being part of the "Flynn camp", as I felt they should have given him the starting job, and not because I didn't like Russell or that I didn't think he could play in this league. I don't like rookie quarterbacks, at least not for our particular team at that particular time, and felt he'd be better off carrying a clipboard, at least until midseason or so until we found out if Flynn was the answer or not. But I honestly don't remember anyone lamenting that we wasted a 3rd round pick on a midget. Do you remember anyone by name that felt that way? CP maybe?

I do remember CP predicting that Russell would be benched by Game 4.

[obiken]

There was no one that I remember saying RW was a reach as a 3rd rounder. All you had to do is read Mel Kiper's guide and the ONLY knock on the guy was his height. Kiper had him rated as a 7.9. Luck was a 9.8. (His highest grades ever btw was Sean Taylor and John Elway were 10.0's) I know I have been accused of having a man crush on Kiper! He has been wrong however, Aaron Curry-9.5 and a complete player!! Mathews and Cushing were 9.2. Anything over 9 is a sure starter and a Pro Bowl caliber. Pete has done a great job of building a great team, I just don't kneel, bow, and scrape, to his drafting ability, that's all. I think that will show its self in a bad way this year against the Rams and the Niners. As always, I hope I am wrong. Mel gave us a C+ on the draft. I would give us the same grade.