Seahawk Addicts
I think he will be an important part in the return game this year. My only concern is that he is part of the numbers game. If he is moved back to the practice squad again for the final year I am sure we will lose him to someone like Zorn.
To be honest I see Kent as our odd man out. He does have speed, but I guess he lacks all the other aspects of being a starting WR in the league. We hardly throw deep anyway which is where he will do his most damage because of his speed and size. I think Taylor and Payne will be our stars of the future, with Obamnau playing solid ball for us.
Unless I'm mistaken, once a player is on the practice squad, another team can only sign him to their active roster, not to their own practice squad. If Kent's progress hasn't been enough to win him a spot on the Seahawks' roster, I don't see him winning a spot on any other team's either.
There IS a window between the time when active rosters are announced and the later time when practice squads are formed. I suppose some other team might use that window to convince Kent to sign onto their practice squad.
But why would he do that? He has NW roots. The Seahawks are a winning team and a great organization. Even as a practice squad player, he could continue learning from a Holmgren-led coaching staff. Most of all, the future at the WR position is still undetermined: he has as much opportunity here as he would anywhere else.
Do you think they dont use him on KR duty because they want him to focus on the WR stuff? Guy totally reminds me of Michael Bates. They tried to do the WR then just gave up and let him use his God given speed returning kicks. He did very well in Seattle and played some more very productive years for the Panthers. They want Nate the Great to stop returning kicks, seems like that could be his in to winning a roster spot.
As someone not having seen him live before, how is his football speed? Does he start and stop quickly? Make cuts and get seperation? Alot of these former track stars are dead fast in a straight line but cant do some of those things.
The rules are quite simple. If/when a player is cut from the 80 man roster that player is on waivers for a certain amount of time. If no team claims him off of waivers, he is free to sign with anyone. If Kent were to be cut prior to the final 53 man rosters being set he would have to be signed to that team's training camp roster. The league only allows teams to sign 8 players to their practice squad and only after the league mandated cutdown to the final 53 man active roster.
So the scenarios are thus:
1) Kent is part of the cut down from 80 to 75 that occurs mid August, any team can sign him to their training camp roster and that team would have to release another player to make room.
2) Kent sticks it out until final cutdowns at the end of August, he can be claimed off of waivers (there is an order based on teams 2007 finish as to who has the ability to claim a player over another team). If nobody claims him off waivers he can sign with Seattle's PS, or any other team's PS or active roster.
3) Once a player is signed to a team's PS they can still sign with any other team but only sign to the 53 man roster.
So, there is a window where Kent could end up on another team if he were to be cut. But teams, the Seahawks included, won't cut a player they may want to put on the PS until final cutdowns to make that window as small as possible.
There is also situations where a player will have one of those dreaded 'season ending' hang nails just before final cuts. The team then stashes the player away on IR for the entire season and doesn't have to risk losing a prospect that they may like but do not have room for on the active roster.
Having Kent would be great. If he shows he can catch - he will keep defenses on their heals. This opens up the short passing game as well. Look at Welker and Moss. We need a deep fast guy if for nothing more than a decoy 60% of the time his in.
I think Kent could turn into an Alex Bannister type guy for us.
Very good points everyone! Looks to me that we will keep Kent on for sure.
Again, unless I'm mistaken, a player claimed off waivers is counted as part of the active roster.
Of course, a team could claim a player, making room for him by waiving someone else whom they intend to re-sign after moving the claimed player to the practice squad. But that risks losing a player they presumably want on their active roster more than the claimed player.
I still don't think that anyone will see Kent as worth that kind of risk, especially if the Seahawks, with all of their questions re the WR positions, determine that he's still not NFL-ready.
But anyway, I'm just as enthusiastic about Obomanu, Payne and Taylor. I don't think the world will end if Kent winds up somewhere else. If he loses the "numbers game" it will be because the coaches think those other three can do more to help the team. I trust their judgment.
Let's wait and see what they decide, OK?
Being on the practice squad means you're really just part of a huge pool of players available to all NFL teams who need a player. Any team can sign any player from anyone's practice squad to their active roster at any time during the season. If a player isn't on your active roster, he's not in any way protected.
With the Seahawks likely to keep 6 receivers on their active roster, unless Branch is going to be ready to go right away, that would be Burleson, Engram, and the fab four. Then the decision gets put off until Branch is ready. As Chuck said, somewhere along the line it might be necessary to put a receiver on IR for some kind of boo boo if they're really serious about keeping everyone.
I still think the Engram hold out coupled with Branch's injury has really benefitted the team because they got all this extra time to evaluate the four receivers and they should be able to make a decision that is best for the team with a good feel for where these guys are. I'll put my trust in a decision that was made by Holmgren and Ruskell about a receiver over one that I would make everytime even if I was out there every day at camp. They know what to look for. As a fan, you just have to hope they don't let a future Largent walk out the door before it's too late like Bum Phillips did in Houston. 
He once said that was the worst decision of his coaching career. That's why the extra evaluation time Engram and Branch have provided is so valuable. Let's us make a surer decision.
I definately think that Kent needs to get the feel for both KR/PR and being a gunner on our punt coverage team. He is obviously still pretty raw in the passing game so I feel that due to this, he will be pushed off the roster by Taylor and Payne. However, if he masters those 3 things and can be an asset in more than just the passing game, he definately is deserving of a full time roster spot.
Why do people think the Redskins will nab Kent??? The Redskins drafted two WRS!!! Thomas,Randle El,Moss,Kelly,and Thrash. NO ROOM FOR KENT.
Nick, Zorn knows Kent and that is why most people think he could be the first to knab Kent if that scenario came to be. No one thinks it will happen for sure, some are just thinking that. Conversation starter!!!!
While Kent may not be ready for Holmgren's WCO, he has more understanding of it than any of the 'skins wideouts. He may be an attractive addition for Zorn not just at WR, but on special teams.
You ask who Kent will remind us of... I'm thinking Renaldo Nehemiah.
For those who don't remember him, that's point #1. He'll be forgotten soon.
He was a world record holder in the 110 meter hurdles, tried out for a couple NFL teams and made it on the 49ers. Here's more from Wikipedia:
his three years as a wide receiver he caught 43 passes for 754 yards, a 17.5 average, and 4 touchdowns. Although he was part of the Super Bowl winning team in the 1984 season, he did not play a major role. His football career was a failure - indeed, it represents one of the most glaring mistakes ever made by 49er head coach Bill Walsh - winning Nehemiah a comparison to the track star Jimmie (Oops) Hines, who won his infamous nickname for his inability to catch the ball.
I think that's what you'll see from Kent.
How fast is he with pads on?
Jordan Kent is obviously very talented. I ran track a bunch of years in Oregon and in the Army. It's not easy for anyone on any level to break into the top 5-10% of the world in anything. Track speed like that takes determination, time, and most importantly patience.
Jordan obviously has a gift, but he also has something lots of pro-athletes don't truly have. Granted, running at full speed up a side line trying to catch a ball is a lot different than getting a baton handed to you in a 4x100 or 4x400 race, but overall it's about timing and training.
I believe Jordan COULD be valuable with his speed, but that's up to the FO and his training to decide.
His speed could be a great decoy, and we all know Matt can throw the ball to spots. It would be interesting if he was on the active roster this year returning and relieving WR's in situations.
Regardless of what happens I have always liked Kent, he was a great athlete in Oregon for the Ducks, and wish him the best. If he does play, look for one of the very few Kent jerseys in the crowd, that's me!
anyone know how fast Kent's 40 time was???? just curious
Zorn could easily decide to give up on Ranle El, or thrash, or one of the other old guys they have, and nab Kent, or any other WR we dump.
Also, the Hawks usually only keep 5 WR on the active roster, unless I am mistaken. Which means, even with Branch on PUP, one of our guys has to be exposed to waivers...
Even if another team wants to sign another teams practice squad player, that player can choose to turn them down and stay on the squad.
Kent beats Jennings in practice like a redheaded stepchild, and Jennings runs a 4.3 40 yard dash. And Jennings has the fastest recovery time of any cb I have ever seen...which means Kent isnt just a quick-burst guy, he is flat-ou, down-field, football player fast! Now if he can just learn to run routes and make tough catches...
The only discouraging thing I've heard about Kent was from Hugh Millen who says that he's having trouble making his breaks because he's so tall. I can't remember the specifics of how Hugh broke it down but it has to do with keeping his center of gravity balanced as he rotates his shoulders over his hips and begins moving in the new direction. Somehow Kent is giving his break away by his body language so the defender is waiting for it and can anticipate the break. Millen says if Kent can fix this tendency, hte can be an awesome route runner in the NFL. I got the impression it was fixable and was due to his immaturity in the sport.
The Seahawks have been known to keep 6 receivers. One year they only kept 4 so it really has to do with how comfortable they feel with the receiver group. I have a feeling that this year, they will keep 6 and try to protect as many of the young receivers as they can. That means if Branch starts out on the UP list, probably all 4 would make the squad unless they brought someone in at the last moment because they didn't feel comfortable with Engram and Burleson with one of the youngsters as the number 3.
I was excited the moment we picked up Jordan in the draft. I really think he could end up being a star, I mean to be able to get drafted, after only playing football for what 2 years? thats a big deal in its own. I hope he gets a chance to show what he can do, I just have that feeling he will be money, last time I felt like that was with Hackett.
Commenting by HaloScan
