Now that linebacker Julian Peterson is gone, everybody wants to know whom general manager Tim Ruskell will get to replace him.
The most obvious and perhaps most popular choice is Wake Forest’s Aaron Curry. But even if he falls to pick four, an unlikely scenario, will Seattle take him?
Why they will is easy, so let’s look at the reasons why they won’t.
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It’s all about the Benjamins
OK, that’s a dated reference, but the point is made. The ‘Hawks traded Peterson because they knew not to sink so much money into one position, especially one not so vital to the team’s success.
If Curry is drafted, then Seattle will be in the same position except much worst. Last year’s fourth overall pick, Darren McFadden, signed a six-year $60-million deal. Yikes!
Unless Ruskell feels Curry is just that good and will be better than both Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu, rendering one of them expendable, he’s unlikely to want to invest more money into the position.
Only so many plays to go around
So let’s say Ruskell decides Curry is worth the price. For all of Curry’s strengths as a player, and there are many, what’s his main weakness? Coverage.
And what does Seattle need out of their weakside linebacker with Hill now the primary pass rusher? Oh yeah, coverage.
As nice as it is to have three stud linebackers, they still need to perform well as a unit. To do that, their skills need to mesh.
That’s why the “Three Musketeers” weren’t always as effective as it seemed they should be on paper. Hill and Peterson had redundant skills and more importantly, redundant weaknesses.
Seattle needs a player who can do what Hill can’t, and sometimes that means just bringing in a middle of the road player. He won’t light the world on fire, but he won’t give up 100 yards receiving to the opposing tight end, either.
Curry or Tatupu
Aaron Curry is a tremendous physical specimen, but one of his greatest strengths is his intelligence on the football field.
He can diagnose and react to a play as well as anybody, and it’s for this reason he’s probably best suited to play middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense. It also helps that he isn’t a great pass rusher, only nine sacks in four years at Wake Forest.
The middle linebacker is the quarterback of the 4-3 defense, and that’s Curry. So when you talk about bringing Curry into Seattle, you’re not so much talking about him replacing Peterson so much as Tatupu. And no, Tatupu is going anywhere.
Of course, Curry can play outside linebacker very effectively. It’s what he played in college. But so long as he’s in Seattle with Tatupu and Hill, he’ll always be the third linebacker, and that’s not what you want out of the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Trading down
Should Curry slide to Seattle’s pick, the war room will probably jump in joy. Not because they want to take Curry, but because the phones will be ringing off the hook with teams interested in trading up. And a trade down is what everyone wants, isn’t it?
Just by moving down even a few spots, Seattle could net multiple picks, maybe even another second rounder.
Out of the top five, Seattle’s draft options open up quite a bit. Who knows? Michael Crabtree may even still be available.
Drafting Curry
Should Curry be the pick at four that probably means Hill won’t be in Seattle for long. Best-case scenario is Seattle can trade him for at least a second-round pick. Worst case, he plays out the one-year tender and leaves for nothing as a free agent next year.
Either way, it’s a hassle best avoided by signing Hill long term this year. He’s just too good to fiddle around with otherwise.
Ultimately, the Seahawks will have quite the dilemma on their hands should Curry fall to pick four, as will any team ready to pick with him on the board.
If he is available at four, whether the ‘Hawks take him or trade down, one thing is for sure, they win.
*Sidenote: Curry is weakest in coverage but not too shabby at it either.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
