Tag: 710 espn

Jim Nagy compares tight end Stephen Sullivan to Darren Waller

The Seattle Seahawks traded back into the draft to acquire Stephen Sullivan, who former scout Jim Nagy compared to Oakland’s Darren Waller.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider wasn’t confident LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan would end up in Seattle as an undrafted free agent, so he gave up a sixth round pick in the 2021 NFL draft to make sure he got his guy.

It’s not hard to see the appeal, as Sullivan stands six-foot-five and weighs about 250 pounds, with a 4.66 time in the 40-yard dash and above average length. It’s clear Seattle envisions him as a red zone threat, and his ability to line up out wide could be a huge factor for this offense.

In fact, Sullivan was initially listed as a wide receiver by the Seahawks, but coach Pete Carroll indicated he will compete at tight end – a spot that is heavily occupied by Will Dissly, Greg Olsen, Luke Willson, Jacob Hollister and fellow draft pick Colby Parkinson.

“I’m all good for it,” Sullivan said on 710 ESPN’s Danny and Gallant Show. “I have no problem playing tight end. I have no problem playing any position that helps the team at all. I’m ready to learn under (quarterback Russell Wilson), I’m ready to learn under all those guys on offense. I’m ready to pick their brains. I’m excited about it and I have no problem putting my hand in the ground and getting dirty, so I’m ready for those mismatches and I’m just ready to get after it.”

As a big tight end with plus speed and a large catch radius, Sullivan has drawn some extremely favorable comparisons, even though he joined the team as such a late pick. In fact, Jim Nagy, a former Seahawks scout who now runs the Senior Bowl, went on 710 ESPN and compared Sullivan to Raiders tight end Darren Waller.

“They got a chance of really hitting on Stephen Sullivan,” Nagy told 710’s Tom, Jake and Stacy recently. “Going back to player comps, the first time I watched him he reminded me of (Raiders tight end) Darren Waller … For 6-5, he’s a really fluid, easy moving guy. Huge catch radius, long arms, can go up and get it.”

Waller hauled in 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns last season, and while Sullivan won’t reach those totals in year one, there’s plenty of reason for Seattle to be optimistic about the big-bodied tight end from LSU – even if the position group looks a bit overcrowded at the moment.

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Quandre Diggs provides ‘steadying force’ in Seahawks victory

Quandre Diggs only had four tackles on Sunday, but his presence provided a huge boost to the Seattle Seahawks in their win over the Eagles.

The Seattle Seahawks gave up just nine points to a red-hot Eagles squad on Sunday, bailing out a struggling offense and helping lead to a 17-9 victory and a trip to the NFC divisional round for the seventh time in the last 10 years.

Part of Seattle’s success on the defensive side of the ball simply came from being healthy, with 10 out of 11 starters (all but Mychal Kendricks) healthy and active for Sunday’s thriller.

While Jadeveon Clowney got more attention for his hit on Carson Wentz and his overall performance, it was the return of Quandre Diggs that helped steer Seattle’s defense toward victory.

“He’s just been such a steadying force ever since he’s played with us,” coach Pete Carroll said after the game. “We’ve played really well when he’s been with us and he just did it again. He just has a steadying presence about him and guys play better around him and it’s a great quality to have.”

Diggs recorded four combined tackles, a relatively quiet night, but his performance had a big impact on the rest of the defense – in particular Bradley McDougald, who finished with a season-high 11 combined tackles including two for a loss and one sack.

McDougald was able to play up near the line of scrimmage thanks to Diggs’ incredible sideline-to-sideline speed, a huge bonus for this team they would not have had with Lano Hill or Marquise Blair back in coverage.

The Seahawks need Diggs to remain a steadying force in their divisional matchup against the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday, which will kick off at 3:40 p.m. PT.

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Quandre Diggs not expected to play Week 16 against Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that safety Quandre Diggs has a high-ankle injury, and his status for Week 16 is in jeopardy.

The Seattle Seahawks went into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers down four defensive starters, and they left the game down two more – Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs – who both suffered sprained ankles in the team’s Week 15 victory.

Wagner’s injury seems to be minor, but Diggs may not have gotten as lucky.

Carroll confirmed on 710 ESPN Monday morning that Diggs suffered a high ankle sprain and said they don’t know exactly how long he will be out.

“Quandre, he had a high-ankle shot there, so we’re gonna have to see how that goes and how he responds to it,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Pete Carroll show Monday morning. “We don’t know at this point. Some of these injuries are really bad and sometimes guys have bounced right back. We don’t know yet.”

Diggs has been a huge addition to Seattle’s defense, recording three interceptions, one for a touchdown, as well as 21 combined tackles and one forced fumble in five games since coming over in a trade from the Lions.

He has been Seattle’s highest performer in the secondary, and his play has elevated the play of Bradley McDougald as well.

Seattle will likely turn to Lano Hill and potentially Marquise Blair to replace Diggs for as long as he is out, and updates on his status will be available throughout the week.

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Ziggy Ansah’s shoulder is a problem, according to Pete Carroll

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll admitted that Ziggy Ansah’s shoulder could be an issue going forward this season.

The Seattle Seahawks not only came out of Monday night’s game with a victory and a first place standing in the NFC West, they also managed to avoid any serious injuries – which is always crucial at this stage of the season.

However – coach Pete Carroll did indicate the shoulder injury suffered by veteran defensive end Ziggy Ansah could be more of an issue than originally thought.

“Ziggy’s shoulder is a problem,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Danny and Gallant show Tuesday morning. “But he bounced back from it and he did recover from the stinger, so we’ll see. He’s been nursing the shoulder all along from last year and we’ll have to see how it goes going forward.”

The fact that Ansah’s injury is to the same shoulder he battled with last season, throughout training camp and the preseason is certainly not a good sign, and should it flare up at all this week there’s a decent chance he has to miss some time.

Ansah’s performance has started to come around as of late, with five quarterback hits in his last two games, and his absence would be felt by this up-and-coming Seattle defense.

A short week will make it a little tougher for these veteran guys to get right by Sunday night, when Seattle takes on the Rams in Los Angeles.

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David Moore will continue to return punts for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks replaced Tyler Lockett with David Moore as a punt returner on Sunday, and he may continue in that role going forward.

Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett was able to suit up and play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the scary leg injury he suffered late in Week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers was clearly still impacting him.

Lockett only hauled in one reception, on two targets, and he was not utilized in his usual role as the team’s kick and punt returner – a role he was named an All-Pro for back in 2016.

David Moore served as the team’s punt returner in Lockett’s place, and looked very solid. He had an opportunity to return three punts and gained 20 total yards for a 6.7 average yards per return.

The heavy wind made kicking, and catching, extremely difficult all game long, making Moore’s performance all the more impressive.

“It was a very difficult game to catch punts, he made it look easy,” coach Pete Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Pete Carroll show. “Obviously, he’s a natural back there. He did a really good job. We’ve always known that, he’s just been behind Tyler (Lockett). It really helps us out. Tyler didn’t get to practice this stuff all week long the way he normally does, and so David did and he came through in great fashion. He made it look like he was right at home there.”

Moore didn’t return any punts last year, but he did serve as a return man while in college at East Central Oklahoma.

Lockett’s leg injury is expected to be fully healed by Seattle’s next game, Monday night against Minnesota, but Carroll indicated Moore may get additional opportunities as a returner this season.

“He will be part of it for sure, as we move forward,” Carroll continued. “We’ll pick and choose how we do it.”

The Seahawks finally return home after a long Thanksgiving week, where they will host the Vikings on Monday night at 5:15 p.m. PT.

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Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman exchange jerseys post-game

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and San Francisco 49ers defensive back Richard Sherman exchanged jerseys postgame on Monday.

The Seattle Seahawks won a thriller in Santa Clara on Monday night, beating the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 27-24.

The battles between these two teams go back a long way, but perhaps the most important player in this rivalry is Richard Sherman, who had the infamous tipped pass in the NFC championship game that resulted in an interception and a win for the Seahawks. Seattle, of course, won the Super Bowl two weeks later.

Sherman eventually joined forces with the 49ers after getting released by Seattle, and has since drummed up controversy regarding his relationship with coach Pete Carroll and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.

While Monday’s game featured plenty of theatrics, it was a post-game moment that caught many people’s attention: Wilson and Sherman, embraced in a hug, exchanging their jerseys.

Sherman has long been an outspoken figure in the NFL, and many of his comments criticized coach Carroll’s alleged favoritism of Wilson over other — more outspoken — players on the Super Bowl-winning team, including Marshawn Lynch.

However, it appears Wilson and Sherman were able to bury the hatchet, a great sign of maturity for both players.

“Good moment, really good moment,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN Tuesday morning. “These guys are growing up. They’ve arrived, they’re real legitimate factors in this league. To demonstrate that kind of character and class is really what you hope to see.”

The Seahawks and 49ers will meet again in Week 17, this time in Seattle. That game could have serious playoff implications depending on how these two teams do down the stretch, but regardless it should be another fun, exciting game of football from two of the best in the NFL.

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