For some reason, there’s a question floating around out there as to why Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks opted for a former Texas safety -- Earl Thomas -- over a player at the same position he coached for four years at USC -- Taylor Mays.
It seems rather obvious that, right now, Thomas projects as a better player at the next level than Mays.
Despite the prior relationship between the two, Carroll obviously saw the... ummm... obvious along with the rest of the Seahawks scouting department and front office. And the rest of the NFL, for that matter, as Mays is still awaiting his name to be called after being shut out in the first round.
In complimenting Thomas following the selection, Carroll picked the nit that defined Mays’ last couple of seasons as a Trojan -- kill shots aplenty, but making plays in the form of picks or forcing fumbles were few and far between.
“We thought we saw something really unique in Earl and all that playmaking ability,” Carroll was quoted as saying by the Orange County Register. “I think he had something like 24 pass breakups and eight picks or whatever the heck it was for the year - extraordinary numbers - and something that we needed desperately to add to our team.
“He jumped out. He’s unique in that he has the ability to play corner, and he has played man to man on slots, and he’s done a lot of other things. He’s played some cornerback for them that showed a real credit to his ability level that we’ll be able to really feature in some unique ways. We thought he was the best guy in the draft at doing that kind of stuff.
“The other side of it is, yes, I love Taylor Mays and everything he stands for and all that. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
So, there you have it. Hope you’re a better person for being armed with this knowledge.