In a chat with HoopsHype, Spencer Hawes reflected on his NBA journey, how he adapted his game to the evolving league, stories about the teammates he played with, his thoughts on being one of the early floor-spacing bigs in the modern NBA, and more.
Spencer Hawes, the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, was nicknamed Baby Calf in high school and built a reputation as a floor-spacing big man during his decade-long career. Standing at seven feet, Hawes became known for his unique combination of size and shooting ability, making him one of the few players to embody this skill set in an era before the modern stretch big became widely popular.
Hawes began his career with the Sacramento Kings, appearing in 220 games before later stints with the 76ers, Clippers, and Hornets – his most productive years coming in Philadelphia, where he helped the team reach the Conference semifinals in the 2012 playoffs.
In a chat with HoopsHype, Hawes reflected on his NBA journey, how he adapted his game to the evolving league, stories about the teammates he played with, his thoughts on being one of the early floor-spacing bigs in the modern NBA, and more.
Super Bowl champion Jermaine Kearse reflects on the growth of Kansas City #Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie w/ @EdEastonJr
The Kansas City Chiefs made a significant change in their secondary before the start of this season, and a young defensive back has risen to new levels as the leader on the depth chart.
Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to the Washington Huskies alum Jermaine Kearse at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton before he participated in the inaugural Golf Classic Fundraiser to honor local first responders in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11.
Kearse opened up about his involvement in the event and thoughts on the success of fellow Huskies alum Trent McDuffie.
“I serve on the Board of PLTgolf, the leading sponsor of this event, and when I joined the board, our tagline was, Give, Golf, Grow,” said Kearse. “The support behind the First Responders Children’s Foundation, my brother, my younger brother, just recently became a police officer.
“There are a lot of things that brought me out here to be able to support, knowing that I have a family member who’s a first responder and all the families across the country who ultimately make the sacrifice that each first responder makes. It was a no-brainer for me to support it here. It’s such a great event.”
Kearse was a standout wide receiver during his college playing days at the University of Washington before becoming a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks and stints with the New York Jets and Detroit Lions in the NFL. He returned to the school, serving as an assistant coach in previous years and getting an early look at future Chiefs All-Pro Trent McDuffie.
“I got to watch Trent (McDuffie) play up and close and personal,” Kearse explained. “I was on the coaching staff a bit when he was playing at Washington, and you just automatically saw his talent through his work ethic and how he goes about his business on nongame days.
‘He’s a hard worker. He’s always trying to perfect his craft. The University of Washington has a lineage of great DBs (Defensive Backs) to come out of there, and he’s just continuing that legacy; he is just a tremendous hard worker and a super awesome person, which translates into what he’s doing on the field.”
McDuffie earned All-Pro honors in his sophomore season and has been tabbed as the Chiefs top cornerback. He has already made sensational plays in Week 1 of the season as the team seeks an unprecedented three-peat.
“Back-to-back Super Bowls, in the future, a three-peat, it’s a really cool thing to see from where he started, coming in as a freshman at UW (University of Washington),” said Kearse. “Carrying out that work to the NFL, seeing his success blossom and his talents being exposed to the world to see how really good of a player he is, he continues to show that day in and day out.”
First Responders Children’s Foundation is a national organization that provides programs and resources to address the needs of first responders and their families. It was founded over 22 years ago in response to 9/11 when 800 children lost a first responder parent.
Additional information about FRCF can be found at 1stRCF.org and on Facebook, X, and Instagram @1strcf.
How did the major college football programs in the Evergreen State handle the second week of the season?
We may be focused primarily on the Seattle Seahawks with this publication, but we love all football, especially college football. Each week, we at Seahawks Wire will give a quick round-up of how the major football programs in the Evergreen State did over the weekend.
Last week, it was a strong showing for Eastern, Washington State and Washington, who all went 1-0 at home. Central Washington did not play, but they had their first game this past weekend. Without further ado, here is the latest installment for college football round-up:
Eastern Washington University: Eagles lose 35-32 in overtime to Drake
Saturday was one of the sloppiest games I can remember watching the Eagles play. For large portions of the game, it seemed as if neither team wanted to win. Endless penalties, untimely turnovers and poor clock management on both sides had this game headed into overtime at 29-29 despite several lead changes. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs prevailed in the first meeting between these schools with a walk-off touchdown in overtime.
Next Up: The Eagles go on the road for the first time this season as they head to Hammond, LA to play Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are 0-2 this year, and are fresh off a 35-10 loss last week.
Central Washington University: Wildcats lose 26-7 to San Diego
Saturday marked the season debut for the Wildcats, who were on the road to play the University of San Diego Toreros. Unfortunately, they traveled back to Ellensburg with a multiple-score defeat. Quarterback Kennedy McGill completed only 50% of his passes for 109 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
Next Up: Central will be back on the road to play Colorado Mesa University.
Washington State University: Cougars dominate Texas Tech 37-16
Unofficially the Mike Leach Bowl, the Cougars hosted the Red Raiders as the two teams the legendary Leach both coached. In Leach’s honor, Washington State absolutely dominated Texas Tech with an astonishing 301 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. WAZZU had built up a 27-10 lead at halftime and the game was essentially over from there.
Next Up: The Apple Cup at Lumen Field.
University of Washington: Huskies defeat Eastern Michigan 30-9
The Huskies have successfully defended home turf twice to start the season in the Jedd Fisch era. Their opponents haven’t been world beaters by any means, but they took care of business by beating two teams they should easily succeed against. Now, the Huskies will go “on the road” to Lumen Field to play the Cougars in an Apple Cup that has lost significant meaning thanks to the near-dissolution of the Pac-12.
How did the major college football programs in the Evergreen State fare in the first weekend of action?
Here at Seahawks Wire, we are starting a new on-going series for this season. Each week, we will take a look at how all the major college football programs in our lovely Evergreen State fared. So far in Week 1, it’s all wins for Washington, as all teams who played ended the weekend with a 1-0 record.
Note, Central Washington University did not play this weekend, so there is nothing to report. But we will include our friends in Ellensburg as well!
Eastern Washington University: Eagles defeat Monmouth 42-27
It was a battle of birds of prey last Thursday on the iconic Infero of Roos Field. The Eagles swooped down and snatched any chance of victory away from the Hawks. Quarterback Kekoa Visperas was nearly perfect, completing 25-of-28 passes for 275 yards and five touchdown passes. Three of those scores came from Efton Chism III, who hauled in 12 receptions for 175 yards through the air.
Next Up: Eastern will remain in the friendly confines of Cheney to host the Drake Bulldogs.
Washington State Univeristy: Cougs obliterate Portland State 70-30
Washington State wasted little time getting their offense going after the Portland State scored an opening drive touchdown. After taking their 7-0 lead, the Vikings were quickly left in the dust behind the Cougs’ explosive offense. Starter John Mateer threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns in the start of head coach Jake Dickert’s third season as head coach.
Next Up: WAZZU will stay in the Palouse to host the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who narrowly surived in overtime to win 52-51 against Abilene Christian.
University of Washington: Huskies handle business 35-3 vs. Weber St.
In their first action since their embarrassing 34-13 defeat in the National Championship, Washington took care of business and defeated the Wildcats convincingly. Will Rogers, in his first action as a Husky, played fine, completing 20-of-26 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown. The offensive standout was running back Jonah Coleman who had 16 carries for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
Next Up: A third straight Washington-based team who gets to enjoy Week 2 at home. The Huskies will host Eastern Michigan, who is fresh off a 28-14 win over the UMass Minutemen.
Penix matches his obvious risk with being arguably the best rookie passer
You cannot say that Michael Penix Jr. is a raw recruit. His 13, 741 passing yards rank No. 15 all-time in NCAA football history. That trails No. 6 Bo Nix (15,352) and even the lesser known Sam Hartman (15,656 Notre Dame) and Dillon Gabriel (14,865 Oklahoma) who also played last year in the pass-happy NCAA, where additional years of eligibility thanks to COVID rewrite career records.
Both Penix and Gabriel had rare six-year careers in college. Penix spent four at Indiana where he was the starter for two years but never played in more than seven contests. Penix suffered season-ending injuries every year as a Huskie – two shoulder issues and two torn ACLs. He was productive when playing, but he always missed about half of the games each year.
Penix transferred to Washington for the final two years. He finally remained healthy and led the nation with 4,903 passing yards last season. In 2022, during his first campaign with the Huskies, he passed for 4,641 yards to rank No. 2 in the nation. He claimed he returned in 2023 just to prove that he was truly over his injury problems. That was two straight seasons as no worse than the No. 2 passer in the nation.
Penix excelled in Washington thanks to staying healthy and playing in their pass-intensive scheme. Head coach Kalen DeBoer parlayed his two seasons there into becoming the new head coach at Alabama for 2024. The last two seasons were a magical time for the Huskies offense.
Ironically, had his only time in college been the last two years, Penix would likely have been a candidate for the first quarterback selected this year. Still, he is a first-round grade that is a lock to be a Top-5 quarterback and may end up in the first half of Round 1.
Penix attended the NFL combine where his 6-2 height and 216 pounds are prototypical, and his hands (10 1/2″) and wingspan (81″) were the largest among all quarterbacks there.
Michael Penix Jr. stats (2018-23)
Year
School
Games
Runs
Yards
TD
Pass
Complete
Yards
Avg.
TD
Int
2018
Indiana
3
7
45
0
34
21
219
6.4
1
0
2019
Indiana
7
22
119
2
160
110
1394
8.7
10
4
2020
Indiana
6
18
25
2
220
124
1645
7.5
14
4
2021
Indiana
5
17
17
2
162
87
939
5.8
4
7
2022
Washington
13
35
35
4
554
362
4641
8.4
31
8
2023
Washington
15
35
35
3
555
363
4903
8.8
36
11
Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Pros
Prototypical pocket passer
Mature, 24-year old with six years of experience in college; top NCAA passer over the last two seasons
Huge hands for ball security – only four fumbles total in six years
Monster arm can effortlessly connect on any deep throw and has the accuracy to make any NFL throw
Advanced ability to read defenses and exploit weaknesses
Aggressive passer who trusts his receivers and a respected leader in the offense.
Short memory keeps him consistently challenging defense
Can drop dimes anywhere on the field and throws passes that help receiver add yards-after-catch.
Skillset matches up well with offenses in the current NFL
Cons
Durability will always be a concern. Inarguably great the last two years, but four previous seasons with consecutive serious injuries
Not as effective passing outside of the pocket
Won’t tack on much yardage as a rusher but capable of goal-line runs
Needs improved footwork to survive in the pocket against an NFL rush
Fantasy outlook
Penix enters the NFL draft as a quarterback of extremes. That likely drops his draft stock slightly, but he is still much coveted after throwing for more yardage over the last two years than anyone in the NCAA. As he himself said, he cannot do anything about his extensive history with injuries other than point at the last two seasons of health and elite stats.
He’ll always carry risk after four straight years of landing on injured reserve, so his placement in the NFL depends on which team values his potential more than his risk. Penix isn’t likely to do much as a rusher in the NFL, but he just threw 1,109 passes over the last two years and is a perfect fit in the pass-happy NFL.
Penix is likely outside of the Top-10 picks in April, but the further he falls from that, the more likely a team will move up to grab him. He’s been linked to the Los Angeles Raiders, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Washington Commanders.
Penix doesn’t need the seasoning that most rookie quarterbacks do since he played for six seasons and the last two were as good as any college quarterback. All players are sensitive to the situation they find with their new team, but Penix deserves fantasy consideration, even as a rookie, no matter where he ends up. He’s not offering rushing production. He offers a scary history of injury. But he is also in the argument as the best passer entering the NFL this year.
Polk worked his way up to starting in the 2023 National Championship
Ja’Lynn Polk committed to Texas Tech as a freshman but was just a part of a revolving committee for wide receivers and transferred to Washington the next year. He injured his clavicle on his first play and missed nine games, while Rome Odunze (41-415-3) and Jalen McMillen (39-470-3) were the top receivers.
In 2022, Michael Penix Jr. took over as the starting quarterback and the Husky passing offense instantly flourished. While both Odunze and McMillen were still the top receivers, Polk started to exert his potential with 41 catches for 694 yards and six scores.
Polk finally came into his own as a senior, logging 69 catches for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns. That was still second to Odunze (92-1,640-13), but Polk overtook McMillen as the No. 2 receiver in Washington’s high-powered passing offense that reached the National Championship.
Along with the rest of the Huskies’ passing offense, Polk enters the NFL draft and is expected to be a Day 2 selection.
Table: Ja’Lynn Polk NCAA stats (2020-23)
Year
School
Games
Catch
Yards
Avg.
TD
Rush
Yards
TD
2020
Texas Tech
10
28
264
9.4
2
0
0
0
2021
Washington
3
5
114
22.8
1
0
0
0
2022
Washington
13
41
694
16.9
6
1
15
0
2023
Washington
15
69
1159
16.8
9
4
32
1
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Pros
Versatile and equally effective in the slot or on the outside.
Big-play receiver with a 17.1 YPC on his 115 catches with the Huskies
Large catch radius along with top ball-tracking skills
Precise route runner who consistently tacks on extra yards after the catch
While slender in build, has the strength and size to compete for the ball and superior hands that will not drop or fumble
Cons
Occasional lapses in concentration
Needs more experience in expanding route tree and competing against press coverage after playing as one of several talented receivers in a pass-heavy offense
Marginal blocker
Fantasy Outlook
Polk is a natural receiver that has responded well when given a higher volume of targets. He can fit into any offense in any receiving role, and while he may not be truly elite in any single area so far, he’s very good in everything and has no real weaknesses. If he lands in a pass-heavy offense, he is at his best when facing man coverage.
He’s big enough to be a red-zone weapon, fast and strong enough to do damage from anywhere on the field. A lack of top-end speed may limit him from being a common deep threat but Polk is a solid target with burst and strength.
He’s like a Round 2 selection which means he’ll end up with a team looking to add him immediately into the receiving equation. He’s potentially linked to the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, and New England Patriots. If the Cards skip on taking Marvin Harrison Jr. with their first-round pick, Polk is a likely option and would land him in an offense with an above-average quarterback.
Polk may never be a Top-10 fantasy wideout, but he brings plenty of talent and upside to any NFL team and should become a fantasy starter if only eventually.
Jalen McMillan is a slot-receiver searching for a team
Jalen McMillan only managed a single catch as a freshman but began to work his way into the receiver rotation as a sophomore when his 470 receiving yards led the Huskies, including the 415 yards by fellow second-year player Rome Odunze who is expected to become one of the first wideouts selected this year. McMillan is more likely to be a late Day 2 pick.
McMillan operated more as a slot receiver in college while Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk handled the outside roles. McMillan peaked in 2022 with 1,098 yards and nine scores when quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took over. Odunze also saw a marked increase, heading the team with 1,145 yards.
As a senior, Penix blew up with 4,903 passing yards and 36 touchdowns, but those primarily went to Polk (69-1159-9) and Odunze (92-1640-13), while McMillan dropped to 45 catches for 559 yards and five scores. He was limited to only seven games due to a knee injury in Week 4.
All three wide receivers – Odunze, Polk, and McMillan declared for the NFL draft, along with quarterback Penix.
Speed and burst are exceptional; nice fit into a vertical scheme
Strong and reliable hands meet the ball away from the body and almost never drop the catch
Polished route running with great speed control that adjusts to the pass, at his best with in-breaking routes
Understands how to influence defenders and create separation
Valuable deep threat thanks to his burst and top-end speed
Agility and fluidity makes him dangerous when in the open
Deadly receiver over the middle – gets open, catches in traffic and doesn’t let the ball get away from him
Tough and dedicated with solid instincts
Cons
Slender build and history poses durability concerns
Lack of physical bulk and strength impacts yards-after-catch when inside congested areas
Lacks elite balance and often tackled on first contact with defender
Likely limited to the slot in the NFL
Fantasy outlook
McMillan does offer a lot to an NFL team, even if it falls short of elite difference-making. He had the benefit of playing at Washington with a great quarterback who also benefitted his two fellow Husky receivers, who are both projected to be selected ahead of McMillan.
He’ll almost certainly be a slot receiver in the NFL and with that no better than their No. 2 receiver, if not their No. 3. But he has a valuable role to play on any team, and likely going in the third round, will be available to any team looking for a technician that can run precise routes and help create holes where the quarterback is throwing.
That means he’ll likely fall short of reliable fantasy value as a rookie but could show up as a starter in the right situation. He won’t be the No. 1 guy for an NFL team or a difference-maker in fantasy football, but he has solid NFL value as a piece of a larger passing puzzle.
The Seattle Seahawks recently gave commitment to Geno Smith he would be on the roster for 2024, but that does not negate them from making other moves at the quarterback position. The 2024 NFL draft is filled with plenty of intriguing prospects, but there is certainly one the Seattle faithful obviously have their eyes set on: Michael Penix Jr. from the University of Washington.
Penix had an electric year for UW in 2023. The Huskies had one of the best seasons in school history going 14-1 before being blown out 34-13 in the National Championship to Michigan. However, despite Penix’s dominant campaign, the Seahawks have not yet met with the Husky.
Granted, the annual Scouting Combine is still underway and will be as such until Sunday. But it is a tad curious the Seahawks have not met with one of the better prospects in the draft at the most important position in football, especially considering he (figuratively) played in their backyard.
Perhaps John Schneider and Mike Macdonald have other interests in the draft. Penix is an older prospect, as he will turn 24 in May, and he has had two ACL injuries. Or perhaps they simply have not yet met with this young man.
Get ready for endless pre-draft speculation. It is only just the beginning.
Mina Kimes on how Ryan Grubb can improve Seahawks offense
The Seattle Seahawks are engaging in a fresh new start for their franchise. Fresh is the operative word here, as the coaching staff is filled with men taking their first steps in the NFL at their current positions. Mike Macdonald has never been a head coach before, Aden Durde has never been a defensive coordinator, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will enjoy his first season in the NFL at any level.
Despite the youth and collective inexperience, there is still reason for optimism, especially from Grubb. Last year, the University of Washington had arguably the best offense in the country under Grubb’s tutelage. ESPN analysist and Seattle sports fan Mina Kimes shared her opinions on what Grubb could bring to the table to help the Seahawks’ inconsistent offense.
Thoughts from NFL Live on what new Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb can do to help the offense improve next year pic.twitter.com/geep4t85BT
It is an exciting new chapter for the Seahawks in 2024. There are a lot of unknowns, yet there is a welcome level of optimism surrounding the team. Part of it comes from coaching hires in Macdonald and Grubb, who offer a sense of newness we have not felt from this franchise in quite some time.
