Tag: legion of boom

Seahawks met with Alabama CB Trevon Diggs at NFL combine

The Seattle Seahawks met with Trevon Diggs at the combine, a sign they may use a first round pick on a CB for the first time since 2006.

The Seattle Seahawks are known for two things when it comes to the first round of the NFL Draft.

One, they probably won’t make a pick at all, choosing instead to trade down for more picks, and two, if they do make a pick, it won’t be a cornerback.

The last time the Seahawks took a corner in the first round was in 2006, well before Pete Carroll and John Schneider were in town.

However, after a poor performance from every CB not named Shaquill Griffin last year, combined with the lack of elite edge rushers in this year’s class, this could be the year this team bucks the trend and grabs a corner at No. 27 overall.

One name that has surfaced a handful of times is Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, the younger brother of Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs – another offseason target of the Seahawks.

The younger Diggs reportedly visited with the Seahawks at the combine, according to a tweet from Star Tribune reporter Andrew Krammer.

Diggs has been mocked to Seattle a handful of times, and his length (32 6/8 inch arms, 78 3/8 inch wingspan) and physicality make him an ideal Seahawks prospect.

He’s known for his work in press coverage and as a zone cornerback, and would be the perfect fit in Seattle’s cover-3 scheme.

Diggs will cost the team their first round pick, if he’s even around that long, but it might be time for the Seahawks to consider rebuilding the Legion of Boom with some draft capital, instead of hoping they can strike gold in the later rounds again.

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2020 NFL draft: Why CB Harrison Hand is a good fit for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks love long, physical defensive backs, and Temple’s Harrison Hand is the perfect fit for them in the 2020 NFL draft.

Over the last decade, the Seattle Seahawks have become known for their ability to turn relatively unheralded defensive back prospects into stars. The Legion of Boom was built from two fifth round picks, an undrafted free agent and first rounder Earl Thomas – a testament to Pete Carroll’s ability to develop talent in the secondary.

The other big hallmark of that era was length, a key scouting tool that allowed the Seahawks to find and evaluate players that were otherwise being overlooked.

Assuming those principles still apply to this team, there are quite a few day three cornerback prospects who could fit the bill as the next great Carroll project in the 2020 NFL draft.

One of them is Temple corner Harrison Hand, who projects as a fifth or sixth round pick but who was measured at the NFL combine with a 76 3/8 inch wingspan and 31 6/8 inch arms – well above the average among the rest of the corners participating in the event.

Hand spent his first two collegiate seasons with Baylor before transferring to Temple, where he recorded 43 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, three interceptions and a forced fumble last season.

In addition to having the requisite length to thrive in Carroll’s defense, he is a punishing hitter known for his physicality, particularly in the run game. He excels in cover-3 schemes, Carroll’s defense of choice, and has a reputation for laying big-time hits, a la Marquise Blair.

Hand probably isn’t ready to come in and start right away, and there’s some concern about his overall quickness at the next level, but he seems nearly perfect for the next Seahawks developmental project in the secondary, and could be an instant contributor on the special teams.

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Seahawks select safety in USA TODAY Sports pre-combine mock draft

The Seattle Seahawks select safety Grant Delpit out of LSU at No. 27 overall in USA TODAY Sports pre-combine mock draft.

Ahead of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine which kicked off this week, nearly every mock draft out there has the Seattle Seahawks selecting a defensive player in the first round, barring a trade down, of course.

And while most of the mocks tend to predict defensive tackles or edge prospects to the Seahawks, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports has Seattle shoring up its secondary with the addition of LSU safety Grant Delpit at No. 27 overall.

“He’s not the next Earl Thomas – who is? – but Delpit would be a tantalizing option for coach Pete Caroll and GM John Schneider if he’s still on the board here,” Middlehurst-Schwartz writes.

Another Thomas isn’t likely to land in Seattle’s lap anytime soon but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other great safeties worth meriting a closer look.

Things could change for Delpit and the Seahawks after the defensive backs show off their skills Sunday afternoon but Seattle will always be looking to resurrect a new Legion of Boom.

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Will the Seahawks buck tradition and take a CB in the 1st round?

The Seattle Seahawks have not taken a cornerback in the first round of the NFL draft since 2006, but could this year be the year?

Death. Taxes. The Seattle Seahawks not taking a cornerback in the first round of the NFL draft.

That’s how it has felt at least in the John Schneider/Pete Carroll era, with the team choosing to bank on Carroll’s ability to develop lesser known players into stars, most famously Richard Sherman and Shaquill Griffin.

Carroll hasn’t just developed stars, he has worked his magic on players like Byron Maxwell, Jeremy Lane, Walter Thurmond and Justin Coleman as well – plenty of evidence to suggest this team can get by without using early draft capital or large sums of money to build their secondary.

The last time the Seahawks took a cornerback in the first round was Kelly Jennings back in 2006, when Schneider still worked for the Packers and Carroll was still coaching at USC.

However – it has been a theme for mock drafts to project a corner to Seattle at No. 27 overall this year, with Kristian Fulton of LSU, Trevon Diggs of Alabama and CJ Henderson of Florida the most common targets.

Is it simply a case of mock drafters being unaware of Seattle’s strategy, or is it the belief that the team will take a more direct approach at replacing Tre Flowers this year?

After all, the Legion of Boom was so good in their heyday that drafting corners at all was unnecessary; now, with Flowers struggling and the depth behind him nearly non-existent, it could be time to buck tradition and pony up for an immediate addition alongside Griffin in the new-look Seattle secondary.

Of the three frequently mocked to Seattle, Diggs has the requisite length (six-foot-two) and aggressive, physical nature that seems to speak to this team and their front office. He’s known for his work in press coverage and as a zone corner – which would fit right in with Carroll’s cover-3 scheme.

The Seahawks may not be ready to spend early draft capital on a cornerback, but if they are, Diggs is a great place to start.

Even the Legion of Boom started with Earl Thomas, a first round pick out of Texas. Perhaps Diggs – alongside Griffin, Quandre Diggs and (eventually) Marquise Blair will help form the next great secondary in Seattle.

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Seahawks pick safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in Touchdown Wire mock draft

The Seattle Seahawks safety Antoine Winfield Jr. out of Minnesota at No. 27 overall in Touchdown Wire’s pre-combine mock draft.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine doesn’t kick off until next week and free agency is still a month away but that isn’t stopping draft analysts from putting together their first mocks of the new season.

According to Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, the Seahawks could add to their secondary this April, pulling the trigger on Minnesota safety, Antoine Winfield Jr., with the No. 27 pick overall.

“Trading for ex-Lions safety Quandre Diggs last October probably saved the Seahawks from missing the playoffs last season,” writes Farrar. “After moving on from Earl Thomas, Seattle tried to replace the future Hall of Famer in the aggregate, which didn’t go well. Diggs is under club control through the 2021 season at ridiculously reasonable prices, but if we’re ever to see a reboot of the Legion of Boom, Pete Carroll and John Schneider are going to have to get another shot-calling safety with range, field smarts and a nose for the ball.

“Enter Winfield, the son of the former Bills and Vikings cornerback,” Farrar continues. “The younger Winfield missed all but eight games in 2017 and 2018 due to injury, but he recovered brilliantly to pick off seven passes last season. I recently watched tape with Winfield, and he explained how he’s able to add to his already estimable athleticism by understanding what’s going to happen on the field even before it happens.”

The combine gets underway next week but the defensive backs won’t take the field for drills until Sunday, March 1.

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Should the Seahawks pursue CFL cornerback Tre Roberson?

The Seattle Seahawks have added players from the CFL before, and CB Tre Roberson is a player worth exploring for Pete Carroll and company.

The Seattle Seahawks will be in the market for some help in their secondary this offseason.

While Shaquill Griffin was a Pro Bowler, the rest of the team’s cornerback group left plenty to be desired. Tre Flowers got exposed in a major way against Davante Adams and the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round, and Seattle’s backups – Akeem King and Neiko Thorpe – are both free agents who have not proven themselves as reliable DB’s when called upon.

While Ugo Amadi stepped into the nickel role nicely near the end of the year, Seattle needs to find some more depth pieces this offseason, and potentially someone to challenge Flowers for his starting role.

While free agency and the draft both promise plenty of options, Seattle could take a familiar route to finding that added depth: via the CFL.

Tre Roberson is a cornerback for the Calgary Stampeders, and after two excellent seasons with them, the former Indiana quarterback is getting all sorts of attention from NFL teams.

Roberson has reportedly already visited with nine NFL teams, with five more on the schedule. While Seattle is not one of them, it wouldn’t be surprising if Pete Carroll and company take a hard look at adding Roberson to the mix.

Seattle brought a defensive back from the CFL to the NFL once, when they signed Brandon Browner and made him one of the original members of the Legion of Boom.

Roberson may not have that kind of impact, but if he can add key depth and versatility to Seattle’s secondary, he should be given a close look by the staff.

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Pete Carroll could see Quandre Diggs’ potential at free safety

Defensive back guru Pete Carroll struck again when he saw Quandre Diggs’ potential to play free safety, a move that paid off for Seattle.

When all is said and done, the legacy of Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll will be his ability to create elite secondaries. The Legion of Boom was a perfect combination of late round draft steals and Carroll’s simple, yet difficult to stop, defensive schemes.

Although the LOB is long gone, the Seahawks are already proving they can still pack a punch in the secondary, and a big part of that success recently has been the team’s acquisition of Quandre Diggs.

Diggs was acquired from the Lions, along with a seventh round pick, for a fifth rounder. He was having a rather pedestrian year with Detroit, playing primarily strong safety. He had previous experience as a nickel back as well, but Carroll saw what few (if any) others saw: how his skill set would translate into a cover-3 free safety in his defense.

“I thought you could see it,” Carroll said of Diggs’ potential at free safety. “There’s indications that you can see over his time playing, that he’s just a really good, natural football player. He makes good decisions, he goes for stuff, and he’s aggressive. There’s guys that I’ve coached before – and you guys have seen how Earl [Thomas] played, and if you go back to Troy Polamalu and those guys – they have a different mentality than some other players. They look for the opportunity to for it and they trust themselves because they’ve done it before, and they’ve had the experience. I’ve tried to tell you guys about that, and he is one of those guys.”

Diggs may not be the player that Earl Thomas is, but he certainly possesses that same mentality, aggressiveness and high football IQ that made Thomas the catalyst of Seattle’s Legion of Boom.

Carroll’s ability to see that in an opposing player, who was playing a different position, is a skill that has helped him maintain a solid defensive backfield for the entirety of his career, even when they churn through players at the highest level.

Diggs is next in line for the Seahawks, and while Carroll won’t divulge too much of his secrets, it’s very clear he has a high affinity for Diggs’ play so far.

“He’s not the biggest, the fastest; he’s just a really good football player and he’s tough as hell,” Carroll continued. “It shows up in numbers of ways, it’s not just any one aspect. He’s playing well across the board; fitting in on the run, making his hits in the passing game, and defending the ball down the field. I think we’re lucky to have him.”

Diggs and the Seahawks will head to Carolina to take on the Panthers in their final road game of the season on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

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Seattle Seahawks defensive player of the game: CB Tre Flowers

Flowers led the team with three passes defended while also racking up seven combined tackles, third on the team behind Kendricks and K.J. Wright.

The Seattle Seahawks defense was excellent on Sunday morning against the Philadelphia Eagles, forcing Carson Wentz into multiple mistakes and making up for an ugly game from the Seattle offense, ultimately leading to the team’s 17-9 victory.

While there were multiple players who could have been named defensive player of the game, including Ziggy Ansah, Shaquem Griffin, Mychal Kendricks, and Bradley McDougald, the award goes to cornerback Tre Flowers.

Flowers led the team with three passes defended while also racking up seven combined tackles, third on the team behind Kendricks and K.J. Wright.

Most importantly, he had a crucial interception late in the fourth quarter, which ended up icing the game.

Flowers has had his ups and downs this season, his second as a starter after getting drafted out of Oklahoma State – where he exclusively played safety.

He fits the bill as a lengthy, physical outside cornerback in Pete Carroll’s system, and his performance on Sunday proved he is coming into his own.

While it hasn’t always been pretty, Flowers may be taking the route of other late-round cornerbacks turned stars in Seattle, a staple of the Carroll/John Schneider/Legion of Boom era in the Emerald City.

The Seahawks are now 9-2 on the season, although the rest of their schedule will require a lot of work if they want to be more than a wild card team in the crowded NFC.

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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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