Wednesday, May 1, 2013 @ 1:47pm
NBA legal analyst weighs in on Hansen's options
Special to 710Sports.com
The NBA relocation committee's 7-0 vote against moving the Sacramento Kings puts another obstacle in the path that Chris Hansen has been clearing for a team in Seattle. NBA TV legal analyst Michael McCann joined "Afternoons with the Go 2 Guy" on Monday to assess Hansen's legal options and explain some concepts to the Sonics faithful.
 Chris Hansen |
Can a higher bid lose? It isn't an auction. Offering more money or having a better arena deal would not give Hansen's group a legal right to the team. "[Bid approval] really is the NBA's discretion for whatever reasons it wants to employ," McCann said.
Should Hansen sue? A case could be built citing antitrust laws but McCann said the argument "would be difficult to win on, and also it would take years." He added, "I don't think that the litigation path is a likely method of getting a team."
How could Hansen get the Kings? The best immediate move is to convince the Board of Governors "that the relocation committee was somehow decidedly wrong" and get 16 owners to vote against their advice.
What if Sacramento doesn't pull through? McCann thinks that's unlikely, but if the Sacramento offer falls apart it gives Hansen leverage to ask the league to re-evaluate its relocation decision.
Can the Maloofs refuse the sale? The Maloofs aren't obligated to sell to the Sacramento group. "Why they would do that ... is a separate question," McCann said. "If they're interested in just getting as much money as possible and then moving on to other endeavors, then they probably would sell the team."
How about expansion? An expansion team is feasible and won't make a great impact on quality of play or sharing of resources but "the business folks at the NBA apparently believe otherwise and they're the ones making the decision." McCann's odds of expansion are "Better than 50-1, better than the Kings."
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 @ 4:45pm
Harvin trade changes complexion of Seahawks' draft
The Seahawks could conceivably make it through the 2013 season without one of their 11 draft picks starting a game. That wouldn't be an indictment on the class as much as it would be a reflection of the strength of the roster and the reality that Seattle's starting lineup doesn't have many clear openings.
That's one way to look at it.
"Still say we had the best first round pick of the draft," safety Earl Thomas tweeted Thursday night.
The Seahawks consider wide receiver Percy Harvin a part of their 2013 draft class, having included the 25th overall choice in a package of picks they sent to Minnesota to acquire him.
In the video below, Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby discuss how taking the Harvin trade into account changes the overall complexion of Seattle's draft.
You can listen to Tuesday's show here.
Monday, April 29, 2013 @ 2:48pm
What's next for Seattle after vote against Kings move?
Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby react to the news that the NBA's relocation committee has voted to recommend blocking the relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle.
You can listen to Monday's show here.
Thursday, April 25, 2013 @ 3:27pm
Draft analyst likes Arthur Brown for Seahawks at 56
Dan Shonka, a draft analyst from Ourlads.com, describes Kansas State's Arthur Brown as a productive outside linebacker with good instincts and speed.
Shonka also thinks Brown could be the Seahawks' second-round pick, No. 56 overall.
"I don't know if he'll be there because a lot of teams like this guy, but there's also a lot of good football players ... so I think that's a possibility at 56," Shonka told "Bob and Groz" on Thursday.
Brown began his career at Miami (Fla.) before transferring to Kansas State, where he recorded 100 tackles as a senior last season en route to winning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award. He reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 and 4.68 seconds at his pro day workout. Those times would have ranked in the top 10 among linebackers at the combine had a shoulder injury not kept Brown from running.
Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby share additional thoughts in the video below on Brown and the Seahawks' need for a linebacker.
You can listen to Thursday's show here.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 @ 11:59am
Draft guru thinks Trufant could sneak into first round
Coming off a senior season where Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant was named first-team All-Pac-12, the Tacoma native is the Huskies' clear top prospect in this week's NFL Draft. The question is, just how soon will he be taken?
 UW's Desmond Trufant was a first-team All-Pac-12 cornerback last season. (AP) |
Russ Lande of the National Football Post told "Bob and Groz" Tuesday that he thinks Trufant won't have to wait long to be drafted, though there are a few hurdles in his way.
"He's a guy that's probably gonna go between 20 and 35," Lande said. "He's a really athletic corner. He's willing to put his hands on guys and play physical. He's got loose hips. He can change directions. There's a lot to like about him."
There's a lot to like about several other cornerback prospects, though. Alabama's Dee Milliner and Florida State's Xavier Rhodes have emerged at the top options at the position, and Lande expects Trufant to be lumped into a second tier with Houston's D.J. Hayden, Boise State's Jamar Taylor and Georgia's Sanders Commings.
"I think the problem (Trufant) is gonna have is, when you get beyond some of the elite guys, whether it's Dee Milliner and Xavier Rhodes, you have a bunch of intriguing guys like D.J. Hayden, Trufant, Sanders Commings and Jamar Taylor. All four are generally bunched in a lot of teams' rooms very similarly.
"It all depends which one of those four the team that's picking a cornerback (first) likes the most. So he's in a good spot to be drafted early, it's just a matter of how early. ... Trufant could go 15-20, he could go 40 or 45."
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 @ 4:29pm
Seahawks can draft with bigger picture in mind
The Seahawks have under contract 20 of 22 starters from a team that went 11-5 during the regular season and fell just short of reaching the NFC Championship game.
They've also made high-profile additions at wide receiver and defensive line, two positions that needed varying degrees of reinforcement.
The Seahawks' immediate needs are few as they head into the draft. With that in mind, Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby discuss in the video below how that will change their approach.
You can listen to Tuesday's show here.
Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 10:31am
What Aaron Harang can do for the Mariners' rotation
Facing one of the best lineups in baseball wasn't the only challenge facing Aaron Harang Tuesday night. The veteran pitcher was making his 2013 debut after a pair of trades and an extended layover.
 Aaron Harang |
Harang joined the Mariners last week via a trade with the Rockies, who had designated him for assignment days earlier after acquiring him in a trade with the Dodgers on April 6. The Rockies told Harang they were going to DFA him, so he drove from Los Angeles to his home in San Diego and tried to keep his arm ready while he waited for his next opportunity.
"I called up the guys at San Diego State and told them I needed to keep throwing, so they brought me out and had me throw bullpens," he said. "I threw a five-inning simulated game, 83 pitches, just to kind of keep everything going."
Harang was on a pitch count – "about 85-90 is what we were thinking," he said – when he made his first start with the Mariners Tuesday. He ended up throwing 95 pitches over five innings while holding his own against a tough Tigers lineup. Harang allowed three earned runs on seven hits, striking out six with no walks. The Mariners lost the game, 6-2.
In the video below, Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby share additional thoughts on Harang's debut and what he can do for the Mariners' rotation.
You can listen to Wednesday's show here.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 @ 12:11am
Scout's take: Seahawks edge 49ers as NFL's best team
Those paying close attention to the moves made this offseason by the Seahawks and 49ers might have noticed a pattern.
Each team opened the new league year by trading for a high-profile wide receiver, with Percy Harvin coming to Seattle and Anquan Boldin joining San Francisco.
The Seahawks and 49ers both traded away a backup quarterback they considered good enough to start, moves that necessitated a replacement and reflected how highly each team regards its starter.
Reports of the Seahawks' addition of Antoine Winfield came a week and a half after the 49ers added Nnamdi Asomugha, another veteran cornerback with Pro Bowls on his resume.
The similarities in those moves might be purely coincidental, but it's all made good fodder for debate over which NFC West rival has assembled the best roster. If you ask Matt Williamson, a former NFL scout who now works for ESPN's Scouts Inc., the Seahawks have a slight edge.
 "I think it's going to be the best rivalry in the league and the most physical game of the year," ESPN's Matt Williamson said of the Seahawks and 49ers. (AP) |
Unlike their 49ers counterparts, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider had to overhaul their roster en route assembling a Super Bowl contender. What's sped up the process, as Williamson noted, has been their ability to find cheap talent through the draft. Russell Wilson, for example, is making well under $1 million per season, whereas some teams are paying their franchise quarterbacks more than $15 million a year.
"They're getting great quarterback play, but it's not abusing their salary cap," Williamson said.
The Seahawks and 49ers finished first and second, respectively, in scoring defense last season. Williamson thinks Seattle surpassed San Francisco on defense but said the draft will provide the 49ers with a chance to regain their edge. San Francisco owns three picks in the first two rounds, while Seattle has one.
"I think that the Niners will get better on draft day than the Seahawks do, but it's going to be a great power race just watching these two," he said, "and I think we're splitting hairs to say who the better team is."
A few more of Williamson's thoughts:
The read-option's future. Williamson doesn't think the read-option will be a passing fad like the Wildcat, but he questions how effective it will be now that it will no longer catch defenses by surprise.
"Think back just 365 days ago. The only teams that were running the read-option were Cam Newton and the Panthers and [Tim] Tebow and the Broncos, and at this point [last year] he was a Jet and Peyton Manning was in place. So defensive coordinators weren't preparing for it all offseason," Williamson said. "This year, I'm sure every defensive coordinator is grinding that tape like crazy on how do we stop the read-option, they're calling their buddies in college, 'give us some tips.'"
Williamson doesn't think the read-option can be a staple of a team's offense because of the risk it poses to quarterbacks who are exposed to extra hits. The read-option was much more of a wrinkle than a staple for the Seahawks last season, which is an important distinction to make when discussing its sustainability.
'Not a fan' of Brady Quinn. Williamson thinks backup quarterback is one of the Seahawks' biggest needs. In his mind, that's as much of a testament to the overall strength of the roster as it is an indictment of Brady Quinn, who's currently Seattle's presumed No. 2 quarterback after signing with the team last week. One of Quinn's biggest problems, according to Williamson, is that he's "way too hesitant to pull the trigger."
The good news for the Seahawks, according to Williamson, is that their defense and running game would be good enough to win games without great play from their backup quarterback.
Winfield's skillset. It's safe to say Williamson likes the addition of cornerback Antoine Winfield, who has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Seattle. He cited Winfield's physicality and ability to defend against the run as reasons why he's ideally suited to play inside as a slot corner.
"He has good short-area quickness but not elite speed anymore, so you don't want him running down the sidelines with A.J. Green so much as you'd rather him do battle with the Wes Welkers and the slot receivers and blitz ..., have him attack the running game," he said.