This is a brainstorm list of ideas how Seattle can cope with the loss of Bobby Engram. Egnram can't be placed on the PUP list and therefore counts as a "dead" man until he is able to return. That, obviously, is a bit of a kick in the teeth.

PUP List Deion Branch

Branch could return at the start of the season. It's not likely, but the notion is swirling, so it must be accounted for. With Engram out, it is now that much more important that Seattle prudently places Branch on the PUP list. That might sound counterintuitive. Branch is, after all, a wide receiver on a team in need. But two things must be considered.

First, Seattle is not in a position where they have gross wide receiver needs. Seattle has net wide receiver needs. They don't need wide receivers on the roster, they need wide receivers that can play and contribute. If Branch rushes his recovery, he might reinjure himself. An injured Branch is a second dead player. Better then to put Branch on the PUP list and activate him later in the season, when he has a better chance to maintain health and a better chance to contribute.

Second, going forward, Seattle shouldn't count on contributions from Engram or Branch. For the entirety of the 2008 season, Branch will be less than a year removed from surgery. Even if he can meet the minimum requirements to take the field, that does not guarantee effectiveness. Branch should not be counted on to contribute this season. Engram, 35, has already suffered the first of what could be a slew of career ending injuries. Engram should not be counted on to contribute this season.

Free up a roster spot and give Branch the best chance of maintaining health by placing him on the PUP list.

Take a Hard, Merciless Look at Logan Payne

Without an accrued season in the NFL, and only one season on the practice squad, Payne should be eligible for a second tour of duty. But that same spot could go to Michael Bumpus. Does Seattle take up a quarter of its practice squad with wide receivers? And how then do you fill out the other six spots? Certainly depth at offensive line is a must. Depth at defensive line and in the secondary is always wise. How about Brandon Coutu should Seattle think Olindo Mare their best bet this season? Retaining Joe Newton could allow for Seattle to keep only two tight ends on roster. Justin Forsett must be retained somehow. It might be that Seattle must sincerely consider what they have with Logan Payne and if his potential is worth retaining. He's not a contributor on special teams. And his value was always weighted more towards producing now than potential. If Payne can't earn his spot in the preseason, it might be best to cut him or place him on IR.

Start Ben Obomanu at Slot, Sub with Bumpus

As is, Courtney Taylor is likely to play flanker. Among Seattle's remaining wide receivers, Obomanu, Payne and Bumpus are best suited for Engram's slot duties. Accounting for skill set, performance, health and experience, that should read Obomanu, Bumpus and then Payne. Obo should play with the first team offense. He's not really like Engram, not surgical carving zones, not steady converting receptions, but he does have the minimum skills needed with some nice addendums: speed, agility and big play ability. Bumpus offers Seattle its best shot of Engram 2. He has good hands and an ability to read zones, and though Bumpus isn't fast, it's reasonable to think he's at least on par with the contemporary Bobby Engram. Put it to the test. Throw both into the fire and see who survives. Give each a half of strictly slot play. If Bumpus plays well in the second half, see if he can do it with the first unit. If Payne can take the field, throw him right out there with the first unit and see if he survives. The key is, audition the three strictly playing the slot. Without Bobby, the luxury of open tryouts is lost. Someone on this team must be able to produce now, and it's best that's decided in the preseason.

Rework your Base Offense

On Friday, Seattle employed 3 wide on 33 plays, mostly in both 3 WR, I and 3WR, TE, RB. Seattle relied heavily on those formations last season, in its pass first offense. A healthy and productive Bobby Engram, an old and regularly spelled tight end and a non-existent run game forced the move. Well, things have changed, and what were once weaknesses are now strengths and what were once strengths are now weaknesses. Depending on what Taylor shows and how Obo develops, John Carlson is Seattle's second to fourth best receiver. Theoretically, 2 WR, TE, I is the formation Mike Holmgren prefers. He maximized it in 2005, deftly exploiting its balanced qualities, and riding it to career seasons by Jerramy Stevens, Joe Jurevicius and Shaun Alexander. It's time to dust off the old playbook, because the talent is again better suited to Holmgren's former, more structurally conservative formation.

Entertain Signing a Veteran

It's clear Tim Ruskell believes in continuity. Continuity of talent. Continuity of evaluation. And continuity of leadership. That's one reason Seattle hasn't been involved in many rent a player contracts and why potentially helpful additions like Terry Glenn and Eric Parker have been ignored. But now is not the time for rigidity. Seattle's young corps has earned some respect, but should they flub or Taylor's hamstring (etc.) flare up, it would be foolish not to consider adding a hired gun; another option to the mix to keep Seattle from making any rash moves (like rushing Branch) or being hamstrung by a particularly underperforming unit. A mid priced free agent helps Seattle win now without mortgaging the future.

Just in time, Seahawks Insider checks in with a lengthy and detailed rundown of Seattle's receiver. Mercifully free of wrongheaded editorializing. Wrongheaded editorializing is my job!

The star performer of the day was the silent but deadly Ben Obomanu, who caught everything during practice, including a fade ball over Marcus Trufant for a score from Hasselbeck, and another great play on a deep post route from Hasselbeck with safety Kevin Hobbs on the coverage.

"Receiver seems to be the focal point now obviously," veteran receiver Bobby Engram said. "And Ben is stepping up. He’s getting his opportunity, and he had a tremendous practice today."

The leader continues his run, and not only is he ahead but he's stepping up at just the right time. Obomanu was sort of Jordan Kent before Jordan Kent. The athletic, burner with a good attitude but a lot to learn. Obomanu is slower, smaller but also much more experienced. Entering his third year, it sounds like the gears are meshing, the skills are catching up to the talent and something good is emerging.

Obomanu's college teammate, Courtney Taylor, also returned to full go after nursing a hamstring injury the last few days. Taylor looked good as well, making a nice catch on a sideline route and running with speed after a catch on a slant inside. He caught some balls on the jugs machine after practice.

However, Taylor did drop a ball in the end zone on an inside slant route against Kelly Jennings, letting the ball get into his pads.

That run after the catch ability is what separates Taylor from his competition and why he's Seattle's best bet for the starting flanker spot should Branch be PUPed.

Jordan Kent, the other receiver competing for a spot along with Logan Payne (still sitting out with a cracked rib), caught a 20-yard touchdown pass during red zone drill, getting cornerback Josh Wilson to bite as he geared down like he was going to run a square out, then running past Wilson on an inside seam route.

Jordan Kent...with a football move? Yeah, that's cool. Now to do it in a game. If only Charlie Frye wasn't passing to him.

And now for the twist:

Walter Jones (left tackle), Mike Wahle (left guard), Steve Vallos (center), Rob Sims (right guard) and Sean Locklear (left tackle) ran with the first unit, which looked solid in both run and pass blocking during team drills.

Walter Jones starts in place of Floyd Womack and the offense comes alive? Wha?

Talkin' Hawks offers a little more on Obo

Obomanu had an over-the-shoulder grab of a Matt Hasselbeck pass off a fade route in the end zone and later got open deep behind cornerback Kevin Hobbs to make a nice adjustment in catching a slightly under-thrown ball from Hasselbeck.

"If Hasselbeck is not comfortable with how you're getting into your route and where you're going, you're not one of those guys he's going to call upon during the season," Obomanu said. "I think it was a pretty good day to be in the right spot and to make those catches."

Three cool things: First, fade routes are among Beck's best weapons in the end zone. If Obo can produce on those, he'll become a red zone threat. Second, Obomanu often ran deep last season, but he rarely made adjustments. That's the kind of knowledge growth he needs to replace Hacks. Third, it's kind of charming how serious Obo is. It's all business with him. Sounds like he learned from some mistakes last season.

Seahawks Blog on, y'know, someone other than Obo

Lance Laury made two tips in a seven-on-seven passing drill. Laury is a big, physical run-stopper and improving the pass defense is important because Laury must be ready to step up for an injury with the departures of Niko Koutouvides and Kevin Bentley in free agency.

Tips are nice, but not something I would count on. The tips matter because it means he might have been in the right spot and he was aware of the pass. Otherwise, let's wait till gametime. Laury must step up because Will Herring is...not able to play.

Samuel Gutekunst -- the team's international-squad allotment -- is also not practicing because of an undisclosed injury.

Gutekunst: "Don't make me run, I'm full of chocolate."

Uter schoki im bauch (via Darkgringoger)

In the final three days of training camp let's review our three preseason position battles. Today we start with a battle that some may think has gotten short shrift at Field Gulls: Wide receiver. Notice I didn't say slot receiver, or #3 receiver, that's because I still think the team sees Courtney Taylor as a starting flanker and hopes to move Engram back to his natural position in the slot. Obomanu and Payne are both probably competing for the second slot spot, with Obo possessing a good lead.

The Leader:

Ben Obomanu

Ideally, the team wants to make Obomanu the new DJ Hackett. Good value per reception, but not a player you run your offense through. A competent deep man and standout in the red zone. Over his junior and senior seasons, Obomanu caught 12 touchdowns on a pair of offenses that threw for only 44. He's long and has good leaping ability, but is slight and must improve his strength, timing and/or positioning.

The Favorite:

Courtney Taylor

Taylor wants to practice, but the team isn't letting him. That's typical for an injured veteran or superstar, but when a second year receiver with five receptions for his career is protected, it's probably because the team is counting on him. Throughout training camp, the story between the lines has read Taylor is the favorite, if healthy, Taylor should win the job. For Taylor, all that matters now is staying healthy and performing in the preseason. Accomplish both, and Taylor should be Seattle's starting flanker against Buffalo.

The Dark Horse:

Logan Payne

It's little wonder Payne does so well in practice. He's dedicated, has good hands and runs tight routes. Practice is the ideal setting for Payne. The question is whether Payne's game will survive against less friendly competition. The early reports are no: In scrimmage, Payne dropped a pass in traffic. He was wide open, but also surrounded. That's the life of a zone busting slot man, lots of space, but twice as many hits. Being a bulldog and holding onto the ball is a prerequisite. On another play Payne probably fumbled, but in the quick and uncontested play of an intrasquad scrimmage, the pile was disbanded and the ball awarded to the offense. If the ball even came loose, regardless of possession, that's bad.

Payne has the most to prove and the most to lose in the preseason. He should play Bobby Engram when Engram sits, and should receive plenty of targets. As such, Payne will tally completions, amass yards, but it's the quality of those completions, the consistency of those yards that matter. Can he convert third downs? Convert 60%+ of his targets into completions? Be drop free, fumble free, mistake free? When you're natural talent is as close to league minimum as Payne's is, the requirements are stringent, but that's the job.

The Wild Card:

Jordan Kent

When you draft a player like Jordan Kent, you're awaiting a tipping point. A point when his skills have grown enough that combined with his athleticism a functional player is formed. From there, the project is left behind and that player irreversibly improves. At that point, when Kent can take the field without being a liability, Kent's athleticism will demand a roster spot. Kent might be nearing that point, but practice won't tell us.

Kent has the most to gain in the preseason. It's easy, when a player starts as unskilled as Kent, to celebrate how much he's improved. Why, last year Kent could have single handedly crippled the offense and now he's almost able to catch the ball! Jawsome! No. Improvement isn't enough. Kent must be a wide receiver, not a great, good, or even okay one, but when he takes the field he must present a viable, realizable receiving threat. Should he do that, become, minimum, a bad day Ashley Lelie or Koren Robinson, Kent's potential is too great to ignore and not only will he earn a roster spot, he'll earn regular looks in the regular season.

The Field:

Michael Bumpus is making a strong push for the practice squad. His worst baggage: his size + athleticism are borderline NFL quality. His greatest asset: he's an NFL ready reinforcement should the worst case scenario occur and the Hawks have to pull a receiver from their practice squad.

Joel Filani is tall and runs fast out of pads, plus he posted back to back 1,000 yard seasons at Texas Tech. Those three facts should help him find another team after Seattle waives him. Already waived by the Titans and Vikings, FIlani plays slow and probably is not long for the league.

Bryan Gilmore is like zoom! He's agile and battle tested. Too bad his hands were blown off. Caught 37% of the passes targeting him in 2007; Gilmore has already earned a reputation for drops in practice. Methinks Gilmore was signed just to reveal the shadowy mysteries of Alex Smith's suck-pass. How does it wobble so violently? Where does it go? How does it suck so hard and still retain flight?--briefly.

Trent Shelton is a big, possession receiver without great hands. Probably has a slightly better chance of making the team than Gilmore. Just 23, the hands could still come.

From Seahawks Insider

The play of the day was made by Julius Jones, who broke into the secondary on a sweep to the right and met Jordan Babineaux face to face. Jones lowered his shoulder and sent Babs flying backward, sprawled on the ground. Jones is not that big a guy but he certainly harnessed his power on that play.

Everyone seems to love the big hit. It's certainly a money play, but in the grand scheme of things, mostly eye-candy. What matters is not that Jones flattened Jordan Babineaux, it's that he successfully ran a sweep. For the past two seasons, Alexander's slow first gear made sweeps inadvisable and rare. Adding the sweep back to the playbook is another small, hard to measure contribution by Jones.

From Talkin' Hawks

ROOKIE WATCH
Tight end John Carlson. The second-round draft choice from Notre Dame did some good things, and some not-so-good things this morning.

In an early drill, where the tight end and tackle where blocking a defensive end and linebacker, Carlson was pushed into the running back by linebacker Lance Laury and then whiffed on an attempted block of defensive end Jason Babin - who got to Weaver before he could turn the corner.

I saw a lot of whiffs by Carlson at Notre Dame. That should be something he can practice out of. Being walked into a running back is a little more troublesome. That's about winning engagement and sustaining a block. Mike Holmgren ripped him for the errors, so we can hope Carlson understands he won't play until he's adequate in all the duties of a tight end.

PLAYS OF THE DAY
Offense: Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant jammed wide receiver Courtney Taylor not once, but twice as he broke off the line. Not simply hands-on contact, but route-altering jabs. Taylor, however, took the double-licking and came back to catch a pass from Hasselbeck in the flat. It was even more significant because these are the types of plays the offense will need from Taylor while filling in as the third receiver until Deion Branch is fully recovered from offseason knee surgery.

This play is significant both because Taylor eventually fought off the jam, and because Taylor was physically able to eventually fight off the jam. Later, Taylor's hamstring again tightened up. As long as he's able to practice tomorrow, it doesn't really matter. The play doesn't indicate that Taylor's hamstrings are healthy, they clearly are not, but it does indicate he's functional even whilst debilitated.

In addition to his usual read-and-react plays against the run, Hill also came up with a couple of gems in pass coverage. On the best, Matt Hasselbeck was looking to go to Bobby Engram. But Hill's blanket coverage took the primary receiver out of the play, leaving Hasselbeck to dump the ball to fullback Leonard Weaver - and defensive coordinator John Marshall to shout his approval of Hill's effort.

Last season, Hill moved from clueless to able-to-recover. He didn't always make the right read, but was close enough, aware enough and quick enough to recover. That he simply maintained cover, disappearing his receiver, is another step is his development. Not as flashy as leveling Ryan Grant, forcing a fumble, but better football.

From Seahawks Blog

DT Brandon Mebane is an absolute handful during pass-rush drills and watching him go up against Mike Wahle is something to behold. Wahle is a very accomplished professional. Someone who is focused on technique and very earnest in his practice and he you can see him getting frustrated trying to block Mebane. It's very simple physics. Mebane is 6 feet 1, more than 300 pounds and that gives him some serious leverage.

Here's what Wahle had to say on Monday when asked about blocking Mebane.

"Getting underneath that guy is very difficult," Wahle said. "There has been a couple times this camp where I've had good hand placement on a pass or a run and then tried to throw him on the ground, like just smash him. His legs just keep moving, which is very, very rare for a guy his size. A lot of talent there for sure."

It's not just that Mebane is short, it's that he has a ridiculously low center of gravity. His anatomy, huge through the core, butt and thighs, is abnormal. He's like a cannonball with arms. Throughout the league, guards are getting taller. Last season, Mebane routinely stood up and stifled opposing guards and centers. The next step is to stand up and then shed opposing linemen, so that he's not simply a run stuffer, but a run stuffer that can rush the passer and stuff the rusher.

Update II:

Talkin' Hawks

This merits mentioning...

INJURY REPORT
The training staff is shutting down Pro Bowl defensive end Patrick Kerney until his strained left calf heels. The calf has bothered Kerney since the first practice Friday morning, and it acted up again at the start of the Sunday morning practice.

because fans should expect nagging injuries and a decline in play from Patrick Kerney in 2008. That doesn't mean he won't be good. That doesn't mean he can't be great. Kerney defied expectations last season. It means we shouldn't let one great season create a new baseline for expectations going forward. Kerney is 31, and even before tearing his pectoral in 2006, had recorded just 11 sacks in his previous 25 games. At that rate, that's about 7 sacks over 16 games. I'd be satisfied if Kerney can do that in 2008.

. . .

Update: The rest of the reports roll in with smidgen left to be said.

Seahawks Blog:

Courtney Taylor's hamstring is not pulled. It's not tweaked. It's not dinged or any of those other words that football coaches throw around to imprecisely diagnose an injury.

Taylor's hamstring is tight, however, which is why coach Mike Holmgren said the receiver was taking it easy toward the end of Monday's morning practice.

Meh. This will be the story with Taylor, unfortunately; he's talented and skilled but takes more than his share of bumps. And suffers. Hopefully his game won't suffer when it matters. This sounds precautionary and I expect Taylor back tomorrow.

Seahawks Insider:

Newly signed Bryan Gilmore also had a tough day, dropping a few passes, including one on a deep flag pattern.

Methinks it's his hands.

Owen Schmitt's feistiness came out on one play when he continued to block Brian Russell and the two got into a minor scuffle, slapping each other in the helmet a few times before separating. This is what Schmitt is going to make his name doing, antagonistic toughness. He also caught a swing pass and lumbered through the secondary, David Hawthorne bouncing off him when they made contact.

This stinks of perfunctory Owen Schmitt coverage. Well, you asked for it. He got into a fight with Brian Russell and "lumbered" into z-string linebacker David Hawthorne. We all want Schmitt to be great because he's a Hawk and because he does stupid thing like thrash his head with his helmet, but let's let Schmitt be great before we call for reports of his greatness.

. . .

To be updated as reports roll in.

Dave Bolling is first in with a look at one-on-one blocking drills.

In the past, only Mack Strong had much luck. The drill this year was a real eye-opener. Leonard Weaver stonewalled Lofa Tatupu, and then absolutely flat-backed Leroy Hill. I know, I know ... you don't believe it. Brothers and sisters, I saw it with my own eyes.

Everybody knows Weaver has some rushing and receiving talents, but the challenge for Weaver was to block. And if he didn't learn how, he wasn't going to get much time on the field. It's obvious he's taken this challenge head on. Julius Jones then did a great job against Julian Peterson.

Unfortunately, pass blocking wasn't really Weaver's weakness and he displayed significant prowess last season. Weaver's weakness is run blocking, specifically squaring up and exploding into a block while on the move. So, while it's good to see Weaver kicking ass pass blocking, that's not the stride he needs to take.

The guy who really showed up was back T.J. Duckett, who may have had his best practice as a Seahawk. He looked very strong up the middle...

As I've said, as long as Duckett does enough in training camp and in the preseason to be trusted with carries, he'll produce. After all the brouhaha about Justin Forsett looking better than Duckett in mini-camps, it's encouraging to see someone recognize that a quick, scatback out of pads is probably going to outperform a bruising interior rusher in non-contact drills, but it doesn't mean Duckett is slow or destined to be cut.

Logan Payne continues to be a real training camp star.

Payne is undoubtedly an excellent practicer, but the fawning over his play is betrayed by some simple facts. Whenever questioned about Seattle's four young wide receivers and who will emerge, the answer is almost always Courtney Taylor. Then Ben Obomanu. Then mention of Jordan Kent's athleticism/pedigree/growth as a wide receiver. Then praise about Payne. Not Payne will produce, just praise.

Payne didn't produce last preseason. If we look at all passes targeting Payne, 8, and then apply "The Hidden Game of Football" adjusted yards per attempt  (pass yards + 10*(pass TD) - 45*(interceptions thrown))/(passing attempts) formula, Payne tallied -1.25 yards per target. Payne wasn't targeted in Seattle's final two preseason games.

Despite being highly polished, Payne spent all of 2007 on the practice squad. Before the playoffs, Seattle signed him off the practice squad, but despite Payne suffering no injuries and the Seahawks suffering many, was never targeted or even activated.

Payne is your classic hard working, humble, white guy overachiever that gets mad pub around practice time but struggles to make the club. I wish him all the luck in the world, hope he proves me wrong-wrong, but for those expecting Payne to explode on the NFL this season, you're probably deluding yourselves.

Offense/Defense

Split End	Slot	Left Tackle	Left Guard	Center	Right Guard	Right Tackle	Tight End	Flanker
Nate Burleson Ben Obomanu Jordan Kent	Ben Obomanu LoganPayne	Walter Jones Sean Locklear FloydWomack	Mike Wahle Rob Sims MansfieldWrotto	Chris Spencer Chris Gray Steve Vallos	Rob Sims Chris Gray RayWillis	Sean Locklear Ray Willis SteveVallos	John Carlson Jeb Putzier Will Heller	Bobby Engram Courtney Taylor DeionBranch

Fullback	Quarterback	Running Back
Leonard Weaver Owen Schmitt David Kirtman	Matt Hasselbeck Seneca Wallace Charlie Frye	Julius Jones Maurice Morris TJ Ducket JustinForsett

April 30, 2007, I wrote...

By this time next year Taylor could be pushing for a starting job and Seattle could have moved another overpaid wide receiver (cough* Burleson cough*) for another draft pick.

Burleson lingers, but Courtney Taylor is indeed on the shortlist for a starting spot. It’s funny then that this second year player, foisted with some weighty expectations, is still largely anonymous. Today I want to explain briefly why I was fond of the initial drafting of Taylor, why I thought he’d be in the starting mix this season and expand on what Seahawks fans can expect from him in 2008.

In 2002…

Rivals.com ranked Courtney Taylor a 3 star prospect at "athlete". Taylor earned that ambiguous designation after playing quarterback and corner in high school. He was also a standout in track and basketball. Scouts were certain Taylor wouldn’t survive at quarterback, and his future as a DB was nearly as murky, but tools alone forced a bidding war between Auburn and Alabama. On February 6, Taylor signed with the Tigers.

Taylor redshirted his freshman season. He would contribute in four seasons, but his sophomore and senior seasons stand out. In both, Taylor topped 700 yards receiving. 700 yards is not superficially spellbinding, but a meaningful adjustment should be applied. His sophomore season Taylor caught 24% of his team’s total receiving yards. Senior: 31%. That’s not Donnie Avery (40%) or Jordie Nelson (47%!) territory, but it’s fair comparable to fellow SEC standout Dwayne Bowe (30%). His 707 yards receiving his senior season came on an offense that attempted only 22 passes a game and only 282 for the season.  Rodgeriqus Smith scratched 452 yards receiving, 232nd in NCAA 1-A. No other Tiger topped 300 yards.

In 2007…

Scouts liked Taylor’s mix of size (6106/204), athleticism, production and fast developing skills. Early projections considered Taylor a 3rd to 4th round talent. A couple things happened between then and Taylor’s eventual selection in the 6th.

First, underclassmen Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Robert Meachem, Anthony Gonzalez, Teddy Ginn Jr, Sydney Rice and Dwayne Jarrett declared eligible for the draft. All but Rice and Jarrett would be taken in the 1st round. Rice was selected 44th and Jarrett 45th overall in the 2nd. That influx of talent, including a prospect breathless scouts dubbed Randy Moss without baggage, Johnson, and two top twenty receivers in 2007 (by DPAR), Gonzalez and Bowe, helped turn 2007 into the most talent rich wide receiver class since 1996—at least. Middle class receivers like Taylor concurrently slipped.

Second, Taylor flipped tits at the Combine. He ran a 4.5/40, 44th among 50 invited receivers, confirming the fear of many that he was too slow to play in the NFL. In positional drills, Taylor again disappointed, missing (purportedly inaccurate) passes and doing little to assuage fears that he was but a college wide out.

Seattle selected Taylor in the 6th round. 13 picks later, Seattle added an all-potential compliment, Jordan Kent, to Taylor’s poise and polish.

In 2008…

Taylor is known as a top route runner. As I wade deeper into football analysis, I realize "route running" isn’t a tremendously descriptive phrase. Specifically, Taylor runs a precise line and excels in the quickness and precision of his cuts. Taylor is excellent at that almost irreducible skill of "faking guys out". He creates separation into and out of cuts.

Taylor adjusts his speed so that he runs through the pass. After the catch, he moves a bit like a running back: close to the ground, with a choppy, medium length stride that generates speed and power. He’s agile, takes good lines to space and breaks arm tackles. He’s not "dynamic" like Steve Smith, but is quick, tough and opportunistic—a consistent if containable run after the catch threat.

Taylor’s game is little Darrell Jackson, a little Nate Burleson. And like the former, he gets hurt. Taylor has yet to suffer the string of ever more severe knee and toe injuries that (perhaps) prematurely eroded Jackson’s tools, but has the profile and history of the easily nicked, slow recovering wide out that tantalizes with potential from the trainer’s table.

It’s the mark that mars an otherwise exciting talent, but it matters. In between the scrapes and sprains, Jackson was Seattle’s best wide out. Taylor can be as a good or better.