Travis Long and the NFL: Seattle Seahawks
By Josh Davis
Seattle Seahawks
Oct 7, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Seattle Seahawks helmet lays on the field prior to the start of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Stacked Against the Pick:
Quite a few defensive ends and linebackers on the roster. The additions of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett for Seattle means they don’t need pass rushers for this year. Could be a bump in the wrong direction for a Seattle draft selection.
The Perfect Storm:
Travis Long brings some good versatility to the table. The Pete Carroll is always looking for the “special set of skills” type guys and Long brings that. The BUCK position at Washington State is a lot like the LEO position at Seattle, so the transition would be somewhat simple.
Long might just be the perfect guy to be developed for when a couple of the higher priced guys go into free agency in 2-3 seasons, because Seattle will be looking at a couple of big contracts in a couple years for some key weapons that they’ve acquired over the past 3 years. Avril likely won’t be coming back in two seasons as well, which makes this thought of “developmental player” even more enticing.
On top of that, the Seahawks are loaded with back-end picks in this draft and could definitely afford to take a chance on a guy that can both rush the passer and play some linebacker.
Likelihood of Getting Drafted by the Seahawks:
B- (5th round or lower)