During the days leading up to the 2006 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks addressed a need by trading for a safety with starting experience, then shored up another position by using a first-round draft pick on a rookie cornerback.
Fast forward to the end of the regular season, and the Seahawks were so thin in the secondary that they were signing players off the street.
No matter how much NFL teams try to prepare themselves for the worst, they’ll never be deep enough to handle catastrophe. And yet, come this weekend, they will do their best to fortify the rosters again.
A team like the Seahawks is entering this weekend’s NFL draft without any serious needs in terms of starters, so their selections will be more about solving the depth concern.
“That really helps,” team president Tim Ruskell said of the Seahawks’ ability to draft without worrying about need. “That widens the scope of the guys you can select.”
The Seahawks would love to add bodies at just about every position, but their lack of a first-round pick will limit them to seven selections on Saturday and Sunday. That means the team will probably target backups on both sides of the line, tight end, and, possibly, at linebacker.
The Seahawks could also add some bodies to the secondary, but they’re amazingly deep there despite the way the 2006 season ended.
Cornerback Marcus Trufant, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 16, is ready to practice in the May minicamp. Fellow starter Kelly Herndon, who broke his ankle in December, is likely to begin practicing in June. First-round draft pick Kelly Jennings gained some valuable experience late in the season, and last-minute pickup Pete Hunter did enough to earn a longer look. Veterans Rich Gardner and Jimmy Williams could also figure into the battle for roster spots.
At safety, the Seahawks basically add three veterans to the mix. Mike Green, who was acquired a few days before the 2006 draft but missed the entire season because of Lisfranc injury, should be available for training camp. Veterans Deon Grant and Brian Russell were added in free agency, and both are likely starters. The Seahawks also have former starter Michael Boulware in the mix.
And don’t forget Jordan Babineaux, who can play either cornerback or safety.
The Seahawks could be tempted to add bodies in the secondary, just because this year’s draft is so deep. The Sporting News draft guide predicted more than 30 defensive backs to go in the first four rounds alone.
Safeties C.J. Wallace and Dashon Goldson of the University of Washington, as well as Washington State’s Eric Frampton, are among the possible draft picks at that position.
As the Seahawks know well, depth at a certain position can dry up rather quickly. Such was the case on an offensive line that has lost veterans Steve Hutchinson and Robbie Tobeck in the past 14 months. Seattle’s deep tight end position has also lost plenty of bodies in the past year.
Unless the NFL decides to one day open the flood gates and allow 150-man rosters, teams will never have the kind of depth they would prefer.
But after this weekend, they’ll get a pretty good start toward building up the pile.
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