Sunday, August 3, 2008

A Tail of Two Practice Squaders

I'm referring to Logan Payne and Justin Forsett, of course.

I've been following the competition between the four young receivers, and the official word is that Taylor, Obomanu, Payne, and Kent are in a dead heat. (I'm serious about the official part - Holmgren said as much on Friday with Mitch). Off the record, it's sounding like Courtney Taylor is the leader in the clubhouse. Unfortunately he's had some hamstring trouble so he hasn't yet been able to absolutely pull away. But who will end up as the number three receiver isn't what I'm all that interested in, mainly because Deion Branch will ultimately return and push everybody down a notch. What I'm interested in is who will be the sixth receiver. Why? Because there's a good chance the Seahawks will keep only six, with number seven making it to the practice squad... assuming another team doesn't sign him to their active roster.

I've been pulling for Logan Payne to make the active roster, and after much thought I've come to the conclusion that he's probably the odd man out, which sounds crazy given his performance in training camp. But how does he get picked ahead of any of the following:
  • Courtney Taylor, as I said above, is the best of the bunch. He has usable talent now with an upside surpassed only by Jordan Kent.
  • Speaking of, Kent has raw athleticism that simply can't be taught. He's big, fast, and can jump. He may not be ready this year, but he could well be ready next year, and more than any of the other four there's a big risk another team will sign him if he's cut for the practice squad.
  • Ben Obomanu has an extra year of experience over the other three (I may be wrong about this part, but he may no longer be eligible for the practice squad), and may be the most game-ready of all.
Payne is great story, but is he any more valuable than the other three? I also think Payne could be the easiest to get back on the practice squad. I'm getting the feeling this isn't Payne's year. Plus, the broken rib from the scrimmage didn't help.

Back in a bit for Justin Forsett.

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