RENTON — Two picks, two offensive linemen.
Over the first two days of the NFL Draft, the Seahawks have made it abundantly clear what is priority No. 1 under coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
The Seahawks have many needs, to be sure, but so far they’ve s
pent their first two picks upgrading one of the team’s most glaring weaknesses from a year ago.
On Friday, Seattle used its only pick of the day, a third-rounder acquired in an earlier trade, to grab guard John Moffitt from Wisconsin. A day earlier, Seattle took Alabama tackle James Carpenter in the first round. For a team that could stand to improve in so many other areas, using the top two picks on the same position group was a pretty clear statement.
“Our intentions are clear of what we wanted to get done these first couple of days,” Carroll said. “We’re very happy about how this has turned out to get another guy that brings the attitude and competitiveness and toughness that we’ve talked about with John Moffitt coming in, it’s very clear.”
Moffitt, a 6-foot-4, 319-pound senior, described his game as physical and intelligent. Schneider was more blunt: “The guy’s just an ass-kicker. … He’s going to get in your face.”
As it turns out, Moffitt also may make you laugh while he’s in your face. Asked why he already was 24 years old entering the NFL, Moffitt sounded completely serious when he explained that he was in the Peace Corps for a year. Pressed for more information on his year of service, Moffitt finally broke.
“I’m kidding, I didn’t join the Peace Corps,” he said. “I transferred high schools and I repeated a year of high school. I didn’t want to tell you I’m like Billy Madison. The Peace Corps thing sounds so much better, so if you guys want to print that, feel free.”
The Seahawks were thrilled not only to get Moffitt, but to get him after making a trade with Detroit that dropped them from the late part of the second round to the top half of the third round.
“The coolest thing about it is that our guy was sitting there — I know you guys think we’re feeding you a line, but it’s true — Moffitt was sitting there, and he sat there for another 18 spots,” Schneider said. “He stayed there and we were really excited about it.”
In fact, according to offensive line coach Tom Cable, the two linemen at the top of his wish list were Carpenter and Moffitt.
“John asked me a week ago, ‘In your heart of hearts, if this came down the pipe the right way, what would it be?’” Cable said. “And I said Carpenter and Moffitt, and it turned out that way. So it’s pretty neat.”
Moffitt started at both left guard and center for the Badgers, but will start out playing right guard for Seattle. That the Seahawks are moving a left guard to the right side with no obvious solution at left guard only will increase the speculation that Seattle plans to sign veteran left guard Robert Gallery, who played for Cable in Oakland, whenever free agency does happen.
Cable said if the team was to line up today, the line would likely be with Carpenter at right tackle, Moffitt at right guard, Max Unger at center, an unknown at left guard and Russell Okung at left tackle. In that scenario, the Seahawks would have two rookies, a second-year player and a third-year player as four fifths of the starting line. Of that group, Unger, who missed almost all of last season, would be the oldest at the age of 25.
“We’re going to be young,” Carroll said. “We like that, we like the thought of that. John said from the day we got together, we want to get this thing as young and competitive as possible by doing it through the draft, and that’s coming to light for us.”
Seattle came into the day with a second-round pick and no third-round pick, having given it up last year to acquire Charlie Whitehurst. But when the Seahawks went on the clock at No. 57, they traded that pick to Detroit, getting the Lions’ third and fourth-round picks while also swapping spots in the fifth and seventh rounds to move up slightly.
In part because of their trade, the Seahawks will have a busy day today when the draft resumes with the fourth round at 9 a.m. Seattle will have the day’s second pick, No. 99 overall, then pick again eight picks later with the fourth-round selection it got from the Lions.
In total, Seattle has seven picks today: No. 99 (fourth round), No. 107 (fourth), No. 154 (fifth), No. 156 (fifth), No. 173 (sixth), No. 205 (seventh), and No. 242 (seventh).
Taking advantage of a brief window
Carroll said the team took full advantage of the brief window in which players were allowed in the building prior to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals granting a temporary stay Friday afternoon, putting the lockout back in place.
“The coaches were waiting for them and we pounced on them,” Carroll said. “We sent out a bunch of information during the window period that we had. … We coached the heck out of some guys in the hallways.”
In addition to being able to meet with the small number of players who were on hand — most players who don’t make Seattle their offseason home weren’t around — Carroll said the staff was also able to send out playbooks and other information to players who are under contract, including quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.
“We sent out all kinds of stuff,” he said. “We got it in the mail as fast as possible not knowing how fast the door was going to close.”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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