Tag: video conference

Seahawks had video conference with TCU DT Ross Blacklock

The Seattle Seahawks need help on the defensive line, and TCU’s Ross Blacklock could be an early round target for them in the NFL draft.

The pre-draft process for team personnel and the players hoping to hear their name called in the 2020 NFL draft has been as unique as ever this year, thanks to the coronavirus.

Still, NFL front offices have found ways to learn more about the players they are interested in selecting in the upcoming draft, and the most common way of doing so has been via video conferencing – much like how the rest of the world is communicating while staying at home.

The Seattle Seahawks have managed to keep many of the video conference meetings they’ve had private, but Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle revealed via Twitter that Seattle is one of 15 teams that held a video conference with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.

Some fans may be skeptical seeing Seattle take a defensive tackle from TCU for the second year in a row, especially after L.J. Collier’s disappointing rookie campaign, but Blacklock boasts excellent agility, instinct and leverage as a gap penetrator and would be a good fit in coach Pete Carroll’s 4-3 base defense.

His stock has risen considerably since he declared for the draft, and at this point it’s hard to imagine Seattle could get him unless they took him with their first round pick.

Of course, it’s also not hard to imagine the Seahawks trading down into the early second round, acquiring a pick in the later rounds in the process, and using their new first pick on Blacklock.

With the draft only a few short days away, and defensive line still a big issue for the Seahawks, a player like Blacklock makes a lot of sense – and perhaps a reunion with Collier would bring out the best in both of them.

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Seahawks held video conference with Alabama EDGE Terrell Lewis

The Seattle Seahawks are expected to address their pass rush early in the 2020 NFL draft, and Alabama’s Terrell Lewis is on their radar.

The Seattle Seahawks have continued to hold predraft meetings with players they are interested in in the 2020 NFL draft – those meetings are just being held virtually thanks to the stay-at-home directive that is impacting everyone in the country.

While it has been harder to learn which players Seattle is meeting with via video conference, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle recently reported that Alabama EDGE defender Terrell Lewis listed the Seahawks among the eight teams he has conferenced with leading up to the draft.

Seattle is expected to address their pass rush early and often in the draft, regardless of if they are able to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney or not.

Lewis is a long, athletic pass rush prospect who just oozes potential. He only appeared in 26 games in college thanks to injuries, however, and that lack of experience likely limits his ability to contribute in year one.

Still, his tantalizing blend of length, football awareness, and footwork make him a prospect worth keeping an eye on with one of Seattle’s second round picks – especially if they like what they heard on their video call.

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Seahawks held video conference call with Utah DT Leki Fotu

The Seattle Seahawks held a video conference with Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu ahead of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Seattle Seahawks, just like the rest of the NFL, are forced to hold their pre draft ‘visits’ with draft-eligible prospects via video conference, thanks to the global pandemic sweeping the country.

While it’s by no means the ideal way to get a sense of a player’s ability to help your team, it at least allows teams to meet players face-to-face, so to speak, and to ask their questions.

The lack of in-person meetings has made it harder to surmise which prospects the Seahawks have actually interacted with, and with just 16 days until the NFL draft the team has managed to keep most of their video conference calls a secret.

One call that we do know the Seahawks made is with Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu, who has now had calls with 17 teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Seahawks are no strangers to snagging defensive players from the University of Utah, drafting both Marquise Blair and Cody Barton last year.

Fotu is a good fit for Carroll’s 4-3 defensive front, with most scouts believing his best chance of success in the NFL will be as a two-gap nose tackle.

Fotu isn’t much of a pass rusher, but Seattle needs more interior defensive linemen and adding Fotu in the middle round could be just what they need up front.

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