Tag: Stephen Sullivan

Will John Ursua get his chance for Seahawks in 2020?

The Seattle Seahawks traded back into the 2019 NFL draft to select John Ursua, but after a lost first season will he be a factor in 2020?

A seventh round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, receiver John Ursua caught the eye of many Seattle Seahawks fans last summer with a strong showing in training camp and in the preseason, leading many to label him (prematurely) as the next Doug Baldwin.

While Ursua does possess the craftiness that Baldwin showed, and his size and speed are similar, he still has a long ways to go to even come close to the accolades Baldwin earned in his career, and may have to fight very hard to even find himself on the game day roster in 2020.

It’s no secret that Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are the top two receiving options in Seattle, but the competition for the final few spots is plentiful: David Moore is back and he’s joined by free agent Phillip Dorsett, sixth round pick Freddie Swain and a pair of undrafted free agents in Aaron Fuller and Seth Dawkins.

Additionally, Seattle used two selections on tight ends, Colby Parkinson and Stephen Sullivan, and both could compete for roles in the slot as well.

So, where does that leave Ursua? After all, he only saw 11 snaps during the regular season last year, hauling in just one pass which fell a yard short of a touchdown against the 49ers in Week 17.

The report is that he struggled to learn the playbook, which is what kept him listed as a healthy inactive for the majority of the season. Now that he’s up to speed, coach Pete Carroll showed some optimism surrounding the NCAA’s leader in touchdowns from 2018.

“Johnny Ursua coming up, we’re excited to see where he fits into it,” Carroll told reporters at the NFL combine back in February. “He could definitely be a factor. He was the other end of the spectrum when we’re talking about young receivers. Johnny had a long way to go and had a lot to learn, and it took him longer to assimilate. But he’s getting there now and he finished out the season with us being active and all that, so there’s a lot of exciting parts to put together here.”

Of course, those quotes were before Seattle selected three pass-catchers during the draft, and before the Dorsett signing, so his path to playing time is considerably murkier.

Ursua not only has to prove he mastered the playbook, which will give him a big leg up over the rookies who could face a condensed training camp with less chances to work in front of coaches, he also needs to prove that, at age 26, he still has room to grow and develop.

His skills as a slot receiver are definitely there, but with Seattle loading up at that spot, it looks like it will be a tough sell for Ursua to find himself a part of the offense on a weekly basis in 2020.

[lawrence-related id=60787]

Greg Olsen embraces mentorship role, but he’s here to play

Greg Olsen is happy to help mentor Seattle’s young tight ends, but he doesn’t think it’s worth anything unless he’s performing on the field.

The Seattle Seahawks signed veteran tight end Greg Olsen away from a potential gig as an announcer in February, pairing him with Will Dissly to create a formidable tight end duo heading into 2020.

Seattle followed that up by re-signing both Jacob Hollister and Luke Willson, and then adding two more tight ends, Colby Parkinson and Stephen Sullivan, via the NFL draft.

While Olsen’s job is still secure, the young additions will no doubt benefit from his veteran experience and mentorship, a role he is extremely comfortable taking on in his 14th NFL season.

“I’ve been used to being the old guy now for a while,” Olsen said on Tuesday. “That doesn’t really change much to me. I was very up front with the team, I’m always happy and willing to bring along young guys. When I was drafted in Chicago I had a lot of veterans, both tight ends and other positions that really looked out for me, they didn’t view me as a threat, they didn’t view me as someone trying to take their job. Let’s help bring everybody along, and those are things that I still cherish today and really appreciate.”

Olsen’s leadership skills were a big part of the reason he was brought into the mix, and no doubt contributed to the team’s decision to add a pair of tight ends who they feel can benefit from having him around in 2020.

“Greg [Olsen] is going to be such a good leader in this group, he’s been such a dynamic football player,” coach Pete Carroll said after the draft. “I would really hope that everybody is going to be better because he’s in this group. He is so versatile and can do so much and he understands the game with such great depth.”

However – Olsen isn’t just here to mentor his eventual replacements. He’s here to play football, and he feels very confident he can step up and contribute for this team right away. In fact, he doesn’t think his role as a mentor is worth anything unless he can back it up on the field.

“While I’m going to be an open book and share where I can share and help where I can help, I told the team ‘don’t bring me in if you just want me to be the big brother in the locker room,'” Olsen continued. “I’m here to play, first and foremost. I’m here to play, I’m here to perform at a high level and contribute. I’m a big believer that your voice doesn’t really matter if you can’t play. These guys don’t care what I did years ago. They want to know what can this guy do now, and I think the quickest way you can earn that respect and earn that validity in the locker room is by going out and playing and showing them what you can still do, and then the mentorship kinda comes from there.”

Olsen played in 14 games for Carolina last year, hauling in 52 receptions for 597 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 59 scores for his career.

The three-time Pro Bowler may not be as elite as he once was, but there’s plenty left in the tank, and his ability to contribute on the field and help mentor Seattle’s young tight ends off of it will be a huge part of their success in 2020.

[lawrence-related id=60703]

Where Seahawks rookie tight ends fit on Seattle’s roster

A look at where the Seahawks rookie tight ends fit on Seattle’s roster in an already crowded position room.

The Seattle Seahawks’ first major move of the offseason was to sign veteran tight end Greg Olsen to the roster before the new league year even began. Seattle next brought back a couple tight ends on one-year deals then selected two more in this year’s NFL Draft.

The Seahawks added former Stanford standout Colby Parkinson in the fourth round to give quarterback Russell Wilson a hulking target this season. At six-foot-seven, Parkinson also brings versatility as far as blocking is concerned.

“The frame,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said during an interview on 710 ESPN Seattle on Friday. “He still has a huge upside and his hands are ridiculous. We think he has a chance to develop into a better blocker. He has the frame to develop.”

Seattle also traded back into the draft in the seventh round to pick LSU tight end, Stephen Sullivan, who the Seahawks have listed as a wide receiver.

“Sullivan was a guy who basically he’d agreed with another team, so we were able to get back into the draft and put him on our team,” Schneider explained. “He was caught off guard. He’s just a great kid and has obviously been through a ton, but there was a little bit of a scramble going on there right at the end and I was just really excited for the kid. It was really fun.”

So why all the tight ends? Coach Pete Carroll has an easy answer.

“We’re loading up, we’re loading up,” Carroll said after the draft. “We’re really excited. You’re going to hear me every time go right back to competition. It can’t be better than this one. The guys are different too. We have unique players . . . They’re just different style players. And, again, we always like that. Let the games begin, we’ll see what happens and we’ll see how it goes and really make it a great spot for us.”

The Seahawks head into their virtual offseason with six tight ends all set to compete to make the 2020 53-man roster.

[lawrence-related id=60557]

Seahawks fall to No. 14 in Touchdown Wire’s post-draft power rankings

Following the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have fallen from No. 11 to No. 14 in Touchdown Wire’s post-draft NFL power rankings.

The Seattle Seahawks added eight new players to their roster through the 2020 NFL Draft. With the big event now in the books, USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire took a look at all 32 teams around the league to put together their post-draft NFL power rankings.

Following the draft, the Seahawks have slipped from No. 11 down to No. 14.

“Like the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks do things their own way. John Schneider and Pete Carroll made some . . . interesting selections at the start of the draft,” writes Mark Schofield. “They selected Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks 27th overall, a player with a consensus ranking according to Arif Hasan from The Athletic – Minnesota of 84. They then drafted Darrell Taylor at 48 overall, interesting given his consensus ranking of 92 overall. Damien Lewis, the bruising guard from LSU, was perhaps their nicest pick of the draft in the 69th spot, given his consensus ranking of 94 overall and his ability to finish blocks through the whistle.”

“The pick that might merit watching from Day Three is Stephen Sullivan from LSU,” Schofield continues. “He was a wide receiver originally who transitioned to tight end, but found himself on the outside looking in due to the Tigers’ talented options in front of him. But he can be a mismatch player that NFL offensive coordinators love to build around. However, it is hard to get that jazzed about the player you picked at 251.”

Whether you agree with the rankings or not, it might be a minute before anyone can evaluate Seattle – or any other team’s – draft class. With the country still shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, rookies around the NFL will be stuck to learning in a completely virtual format.

[lawrence-related id=60345]

Why Seahawks are ‘loading up’ on tight ends this season

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll appreciates the versatility of all six tight ends on the roster and welcomes the competition this offseason.

The Seahawks seem to keep adding to their tight end room this offseason and now have six on the roster. Seattle signed veteran Greg Olsen ahead of free agency, re-inked a couple of players to the squad on one-year deals and drafted not one, but two tight ends in this year’s NFL Draft.

“We’re loading up, we’re loading up,” coach Pete Carroll said after the draft. “We’re really excited. You’re going to hear me every time go right back to competition. It can’t be better than this one. The guys are different too. We have unique players.”

Carroll mentioned each player’s strongpoints, like Olsen’s leadership and ability to mentor younger players like Will Dissly, whose first two years have been cut short by season-ending injuries. Carroll also drew attention to Jacob Hollister, who had a breakout couple of games for Seattle in 2019.

And now, Carroll is welcoming two rookies to the tight end competition, even though Stephen Sullivan is technically listed as a wide receiver on the roster.

“The whole group, between Colby [Parkinson] and Stephen with what we just did, you have two totally different kinds of guys,” Carroll explained. “They’re just different style players. And, again, we always like that . . . It’s been an offseason of creativity for us just to try and make sure that we open up the opportunities to showcase the guys’ strengths. These new guys come in and they just add more dimensions to us.”

The tight ends will get their first glimpse into the competition when the virtual offseason kicks off Monday morning.

[lawrence-related id=60234]

3 biggest losers for Seahawks after 2020 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks added eight new players via the NFL draft, and they will challenge veterans for playing time at multiple positions.

The 2020 NFL draft is in the books, and the Seattle Seahawks came away with eight new players to compete for jobs on the 53-man roster during training camp.

A pair of edge defenders and a pair of tight ends highlight the class, but the team also added a run-stuffing linebacker, a slot receiver, a third down running back and a mauling right guard – an eclectic group of talented players, many who have battled adversity in their young careers and are ready to come in with a chip on their shoulder and immediately make an impact on this club.

Adding eight new players creates some competitive positional battles in camp, and while that will certainly create some tough roster decisions for Pete Carroll and John Schneider – that’s exactly how they prefer it.

It’s not the best news for three of Seattle’s veterans, however, as the Seahawks sent them a strong message that their job security is dwindling, and they may have to fight pretty hard to keep their jobs in 2020.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

2020 Seahawks draft class: Meet all 8 of Seattle’s selections

A look at all eight of the Seattle Seahawks selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Seattle Seahawks selected eight new players to the roster throughout the seven rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at the complete 2020 Seahawks draft class with links to bios, analysis and more.

Round 1, No. 27 overall: Jordyn Brooks, Linebacker, Texas Tech

Links:

Seahawks pick Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks at No. 27 in 2020 NFL Draft

New Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks draws comparisons to Bobby Wagner

Jordyn Brooks confident in pass-rush abilities

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Stephen Sullivan gives Seahawks another hybrid tight end/wide receiver

Stephen Sullivan is a hybrid tight end/wide receiver whom the Seattle Seahawks will hope to develop into a big slot during the 2020 season.

The Seattle Seahawks nearly saw their streak of 19 years making at least one pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft come to an end, but a last minute trade netted them the 251st overall pick in the seventh round, which they used to take LSU receiver Stephen Sullivan.

Sullivan joins Colby Parkinson and Freddie Swain as two new pass catchers on this Seattle team.

Although he is listed as a tight end by most draft analysts, the Seahawks called Sullivan a wide receiver in their draft announcement, an indication they view him as a candidate to make a position change.

At six-foot-five and 248 pounds, Sullivan truly fits the bill as.an oversized slot receiver, if that’s where Seattle wants to play him. He’s flashed potential as a physical pass catcher with speed to burn – running a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, a mark that placed second among tight ends.

Sullivan has some work to do as a blocker, part of the reason Seattle is classifying him as a receiver, but as a developmental piece who the Seahawks can stash on the practice squad while he adjusts to the NFL – and a position change – Sullivan will be a fun player to track in 2020 and beyond.

[lawrence-related id=60080]

Seahawks select LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan at No. 251 overall

The Seatle Seahawks have selected LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan at No. 251 overall in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Seattle Seahawks moved back into the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft just in time to select LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan with the No. 251 overall pick. Seattle traded a 2021 sixth-round choice to Miami for the spot. 

The Seahawks have Sullivan listed as a wide receiver.

 

Steelers 2020 NFL draft preview: Tight ends

Do the Steelers need to draft a tight end?

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

With just days to go until the 2020 NFL draft, we are going to go through all of the Steelers positional units to review the current state of the roster, gauge draft need and talk about some approaches to addressing the need.

This time, let’s talk tight ends.

Roster

The Steelers currently have three tight ends on their roster. To everyone’s surprise, they signed Eric Ebron to a two-year contract in March. Ebron and Steelers vet Vance McDonald will be the starters.

The backup job belongs to Zach Gentry who was drafted in 2019. He has only appeared in four games and has one reception to his name.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3