Hawks Casting For Catch Of The Draft They’ll Seek Help For Blades

Don’t bother combing the bookstore shelves for volumes of NFL draft humor.

These guys take the procurement of talent way too seriously to kid about it.

Mike Allman, director of player personnel for the Seattle Seahawks, opened with a weak joke attempt Wednesday, though.

“We’re back there trying to make a decision whether we’re going to take a quarterback or running back with our first pick,” Allman said.

Sure you are, Mike. And you could probably get us a good deal on the Space Needle, too, right?

No, the Hawks’ brass made several things clear in a press conference Wednesday, and the most vivid is the absolute unwavering, chiseledin-granite commitment to conscript a receiver with the eighth pick of Saturday’s first round.

Beyond that, they are entirely uninterested in trading their position.

And their second pick may address the needs at tight end or defensive end - but could also be used to swoop up a standout at any position who might have inexplicably slipped out of the first round.

That is secondary, however. From within 5 minutes of being hired in January, Hawks coach Dennis Erickson has vowed to use the first pick on someone to help over-worked Brian Blades at receiver.

And that selection - also without variance from the long-held plan - will come from among Colorado’a Michael Westbrook, Ohio State’s Joey Galloway and UCLA’s J.J. Stokes.

“There’s three quality receivers out there and we would be happy with any of the three,” Erickson said. “If all three are there, we’d be happy to make the decision.”

That’s unlikely, as speculation holds that Westbrook is appealing to Washington at No. 4 and Galloway might be an attractive local choice for Cincinnati at No. 5, or a nice fit for the Rams at No.6, now that they will be playing indoors on artificial turf in St. Louis.

Suppose, for a moment, that all three are gone?

“It’s never happened in recent history, that I can remember, that three receivers were taken in the first seven picks,” Allman said. “But we have to be ready for that.”

Whomever the Seahawks choose, it will be a decision based on sound research.

“I haven’t studied anything as hard as we’ve studied these three guys - watching them on video, watching them work out individually, spending time with them afterwards and looking at their personalities,” Erickson said.

No one at the Hawks headquarters dares rate these three ordinally, but would freely discuss their attributes: MICHAEL WESTBROOK “He’s got size (6-3, 215) and speed (4.49 40) but he’s probably not as refined at this point,” Erickson said.

“He is a strong, powerful guy, similar to the guy from Cal at Indianapolis - Sean Dawkins,” Allman said. “He’s a little less refined in pattern running than the other two guys, but he has an up-side in that he’s going to learn that.”

JOEY GALLOWAY “His speed (4.18 in the 40) is something that stands out,” Erickson said. “But he’s also got great hands and at his workout, he vertical jumped 40 inches. So, he’s not just a pure speed guy, he’s a receiver who can catch the ball.”

J.J. STOKES “I don’t know that there’s anybody (in the NFL) who reminds me of Stokes,” Allman said of the 6-5, 217-pounder. “I hate to use the word unique, but he’s a very unusual receiver in terms of the way he’s built and the way he controls his body. He’s a little like (former Eagle) Harold Carmichael, but he has better ability to run away from people.”

Erickson might have hinted at a preference when he outlined how each might fit into his three-receiver offensive set, suggesting that Westbrook could play all three positions.

Barring a draft-day trade, the Hawks have choices in the first and second rounds (conducted Saturday), and also one in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh (Sunday).

Seattle’s third-rounder went to Green Bay for cornerback Corey Harris, and the fourth pick went to Cardinals for receiver Ricky Proehl.

The Hawks picked up the Chargers’ fourth-round pick in draft-day trade last year, while the fifth-rounder went to the Lions last year for receiver Reggie Barrett. The extra sixth pick is compensatory for losses of 1994 free agents.

Allman said the Hawks have 130 to 150 players evaluated and on the board, although the final “stacking” of players hasn’t been completed.

“We stack it according to the way we would like to have it go, regardless of the position,” Allman said. “If there’s an outstanding athlete there who doesn’t address our specific needs, we would have to consider it.”

Part of the Redskins organization for 19 years, Allman recalls one time when taking the best athlete available served him well. The Skins were set on a running back, preferably Joe Cribbs. But when receiver Art Monk slipped to them, they plucked him and he went on to make catches in more consecutive games than any player in the game.

The final decision on players is generally a consensus among the coaches, scouts and administration - including president David Behring.

But in case of a split decision, “the call will be up to Dennis because he knows what he needs for this football team,” Allman said.

Will this, as his first draft, in anyway reflect the personality of Erickson?

“We’re only going to have six picks, so six people aren’t going to have a heckuva lot to do with the personality of the football team,” Erickson said. “Rookies will help us get better, and free agents will help us be better, but it’s the guys who have been here all along who are going to make the difference this fall.”