Hugh Millen on Rome Odunze, O-Line, Seahawks #16 Options

Hugh Millen joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about Rome Odunze moving from Washington the NFL this week and his draft prospects, the offensive line concerns, what the Seahawks could or should do at #16, and a linebacker from Michigan.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Look, who's with us here puttinghis sunglasses on? What is happening around
making all kinds of noise? ThreeHuskies, the Husky Stadium, God's Country,
except there's no practice here. It'sall over there. Jetfish said they're
not going to practice in the morningbecause they don't play in the morning,
to which I would say, youdon't play on that field. You play
on that field. It's okay.You're asked over here. Well you got

(00:21):
him on that one. What's hisreply. I haven't asked him yet yet.
I'll be sure, you know,I need to know. So you've
been watching the Huskies for about thelast two hours. We got the mock
draft tomorrow from Action Sports Bar andGrill, the real draft on Thursday Friday.
But before we talk to some draftroma, Dunsday was just on with
us. Last segment, What doyou make of what you see from these
guys out here? Well, it'sa lot less talented than what we saw

(00:43):
for a year ago. That's tobe expected. I think a couple of
things. There was a period therewhere they were able to really work the
tempo because the play caller has themicrophone and the quarterback has the ear piece
on their helmet and so they wereflying around at a very good temple.
Now there's other team periods where theybacked it off and they huddled and what

(01:06):
have you. But I think theability to change the temples is key because
of that rule change. I think, uh, offensive line thin numbers.
Yeah, you know, if youhad to play right now, I think
it'd be a real problem. Sothey I think they need to to to
inject somebody. I think tight endsare just kind of okay running backs.
I think they're thin. Get thekid from Arizona, the Coleman. Uh

(01:30):
he looks like he needs to loseabout ten pounds, but but I think
he's got a potential to to reallybe something they're trying to. They're really
forcing the ball to Denzel Boston.So they're trying to you know, he's
playing the X receiver in most formationsand so they're trying to It almost seems
like they're trying to. Whether it'sby design or whether it's by Will Rogers
and his own preferences, they're they'rethey're feeding Danzel Boston a lot, and

(01:55):
uh, you know, trying tobe like a poor man's ramadonsay, So
so uh, those are some ofthe impressions, and of course defensive impressions.
But but it's a it's a longpractice. I'll say that it's a
long practice. It's if you know, they started one or out at about
three o'clock, all right, andthey're they're still going that bad thing.
No, I don't think so.I don't think you know, the it's

(02:19):
not like the old days. Youknow that the intensity of practice is you
know, it's not like Don Jamesor you know, I mean even even
in recent years. You know,I think it's it doesn't strike me as
a lot of intensity. But they'renot in pads either. Yeah, you
know, they're just shorts and jerseystoday, So I think they probably,
you know, they they they kindof vary that, but you know,

(02:42):
I'd say it's work in progress.As the saying goes, when you say
poor man's Roma Doneza, is thatcomparing Denzel Boston to Roma Douneze this last
year or is that saying that DenzelBoston has no chance of being close to
It's a fair question. Uh,I don't think that he has the ceiling
that Romadoonese has. I mean,ro Madoonday, in most people's eyes,

(03:05):
are the greatest receiver in Husky history. So but remember now roam six two
seven eighths at the combine six twotwelve pounds. Big dude plays, big,
plays, strong, strong hands.Uh. You know, a bonafide
featured X receiver. When I sayX receiver, what that means to me
as a quarterback. First of all, X is this is is on the
single side. Uh. And inmost in three by one formations two by

(03:30):
two, he's going to be awide receiver. And but when you go
three by one formations, let's saythe balls on the left HASH, and
you're going to set the three receiversto the right to the field, and
you're gonna have the single receiver tothe boundary that would be called the X.
What you forced defenses to do isbasically the defensive coordinator. If I'm

(03:51):
a quarterback, you're telling me,as a defensive coordinator, what you think
of our X. Because if ifyou think you can go single coverage on
him and not roll the coverage,leave him free access on the corner,
then now there's more. There's alittle bit more space, even though it's
into the boundary to work one onone, and space is the front of
an offense the enemy of a defense. If, however, the X receiver

(04:14):
you say, okay, well we'rewe have we don't want to see this
movie. And then you put asafety over the top. Well, now
you limit a lot of the routes. And then now, as an offensive
play caller, you got to justmove a guy inside or move him over
to the H and you know,put him in amongst the three receiver sets
and what have you. But Xreceivers have that ability to really dictate.

(04:36):
And so a doonsay, of course, was classic as good as as X
receiver has ever played. You know, I wouldn't even just say at Washington,
you know, probably one of thetop ten X receivers in the history
of the PAC twelve right for sure, and so Boston. So for me
to say a poor man it soundslike a pejorative and disparagy and I'm not
I'm not trying to say that hejust doesn't have the skill set, uh,

(04:59):
you know, to mind naked eye. Whether he ever will dick to
answer your question, I could be. I doubt it, But that doesn't
mean he could be really good,right and still be a poor man's room.
He'll be a first year all packedand still not be Rome. Right,
yeah, right, Well, thehighest drafted Husky wide receiver ever is
Reggie Williams and John Ross. Theyboth went number nine and there's a chance
that Rome could break that on onThursday night. But I want to go

(05:20):
back to the site for a secondbecause you mentioned the offensive line. Uh,
you called the interior of the Seahawksoffensive line a few weeks ago,
and to your defense, this isbefore the Tomlinson signing and things like that,
you said it was in a stateof crisis on the ear. Would
you use that same word to describethe offensive line here? Well, I

(05:40):
said bordline state of crisis, meaningif you had to play tomorrow morning,
right, Uh? And and beforethe acquisition Tomlinson, you had that the
the Rams Tremaine answer tremain Yeah.Yeah, I've got a lot of college
draft ready guys in my mind,so you know, just did because Dick's
busted my balls for continuing to makea big deal about the offensive line here,

(06:03):
I'll be honest with you, I'mfreaked out about the Husky offensive line.
Should I be? Yes? Ithink you should, uh, if
if you had to. Now,I we're in a new era dick right
of of of acquisition. And Idon't know what kind of guys you can
get this late in the game,just be able to get anybody well wait

(06:26):
the check. Yeah, but butbut aren't they saying that at Ohio State
and Michigan and and and Okay,those are blue buzzs. Aren't they saying
that at Michigan State? Aren't theysaying that at Purdue? And can they?
Who's the whales that are writing thesechecks? Reality is there's only a

(06:46):
five. I mean, I hadI'm not going to say his name because
I don't want to violate confidence.I had a long chat on the sideline
with one of the one of thethe really wonderful, generous UH donors UH
to this program for a long time, been a phenomenal husky and you know,
you know it's it's it's a differentclimb. And and he even says,

(07:08):
hey, we don't have that.We don't have that uber uber guy
that just writes checks on demand.And this guy that I'm talking to is
one of the more, you know, one of the most generous who's ever
been UH and has been for decades. So so I I I'll just hold
him my point Dick that we don'tfirst of all, tell me what kind

(07:30):
of guys are coming into the portallineman, are they? Because if it's
just a guy who says I'm goinginto portalcals, I don't like where I'm
on the depth chart. Is thatreally a guy we want? Or is
it a guy that says, man, I know if I can jump in
the portal, I can make bigbank. Now that would my on the
surface of it, would sound likea more appealing guy. But how many

(07:54):
of those guys are hitting it inMay? Right? On May first?
How many of those guys are comingin saying I, I know my team
really wants me to start, andI'm scheduled to be all conference, but
I want to go make somebody giveme three hunder grand? Right, So
how many of those guys are halfAnd do we have a guy to write
the check for three hunder grand?There's only so much money to go around

(08:15):
at a place like Washington. Iwish there were more reality is that's not
the case? And so I thinkagain, Hugh, I think you're right
that at this stage of the gameI did. I'm curious to see how
much damage they can do, allright, So the mock draft tomorrow.
All right, So tomorrow we're gonnaask you on the air if there's a
guy there, is there a playerat sixteen where if he's there, put
the brakes on, no trade talkgrab him. I'll ask you that tomorrow

(08:37):
at three. What about later on? What about that eighty first pick on
the third round? Well, theydon't know the second round picks, right,
I'm usually reluctant to do. I'mnot. I'm not a prediction guy
for a lot of reasons. Butyou hold my feet to the fire.
Remember this name, Okay, JuniorColson. You might go inside the linebacker,

(08:58):
you might in the first I don'tthink he's gonna be a first round
ye I've seen him mocked to theSeahawks in the first round. No,
yes, I'm shocked. I'll showyou a mock draft I saw this morning
sixteen charlie'smockdraft dot Com. I've neverseen. I'm gonna find it right now,
go ahead, talk find it,go ahead? All right. Well,
I think he's a second or third, but but even you know,
get a look mock drafts uh.I think the most anybody's ever hit on

(09:22):
a mock draft is like nine guysout of thirty two, right, so
so, but Junior Colson a big, physical linebacker for for Michigan but runs
the show like you can see everythinggoing around. Uh. Leader in many
ways, and uh obviously somebody withwhom Mike McDonald has familiarities and running that

(09:46):
type of system and for the Seahawksa position need. I could see him.
You know, it's probably probably ifI had to bet second second round,
but I would say I would betthird round before i'd bet first round
for him. I don't think he'sgonna be first roun. Tom Pelsero wrote
today four potential surprise first rounders KeyonColeman, Florida State Junior Colson, Michigan

(10:09):
linebacker were the first two off thelist for him, Kingsley Sapatapa BYU offensive
tackle, and then Xavier Lagette fromSouth Carolina. That's different than being mocked
sixteen, but it's also different thangoing to eighty one in the third round.
I would be stunned if he wasthere at eighty one, That's all
I'm saying. Okay, but okay, so you just cited one. You
know, there's like one hundred andseventy five people out there. I'm picking

(10:31):
the one that fits my narrative.What about one hundred and seventy four others
that think he's gonna be you knowwhat, second to third bet I'll bet
you a drink at Action Sports Bartomorrow that he's not there at eighty one
on on on Friday. I'd bevery surprised if But I hope you're right
and if he is, grape that'swhat you're saying. Okay, Well,
can we also say there's a verygood chance that John Schneider is gonna trade

(10:54):
back? Correct? So right nowyou're sixteen and eighty one, say,
Dick, you're gonna get if weif we get him at forty eight because
we trade back to forty eight,is that Judge Schneyder's more likely to draft
twenty two, forty seven and sixtyseven than he is. I mean,
if you put on the Penn Statetape, one of the things that heard
in Penn State tape up his speedgot exposed a little, He's not you

(11:16):
know, they're they're there's a reasonhe's not a top ten player, right
right, So so, but thatdoesn't mean you know, there's a lot
of guys in third round that thatend up being great play Hell, Bobby
Wagner's middle of the second round?What if we trade back in the middle
of the second round and we getthis Now, he's not a Wagner exactly
a style, but anyway, I'mjust a name to keep your mind.

(11:37):
YEA love it. Judge Fish.I saw this quote yesterday from jud Fish.
I've told the guys this every meeting. Our job is to try to
find people that can replace you,and your job is to be irreplaceable.
Is the concept of being a familyand showing some loyalty at a college program?
Mean? Is that just a thingof the past. You like a
quote like that where it's like you'rea commodity man and I might goal is

(12:00):
to get something better than you.Well, I think that is a message
that has been stated for a longtime. It's like, you know,
particularly take quarterbacks, where we're frequentlyyou'll get just one guy per class,
per school and most now there's definitelyexceptions. In fact, we've got two

(12:20):
freshmen out there right now, sothere's exceptions. But the majority of the
time the better schools that the betterquarterbacks want to go, not because they're
afraid of competition, but because ofreps. That's the valuable thing is reps.
So they've been telling that guys like, hey, you're the quarterback for
this class if you sign with us, but we're gonna be trying in the

(12:41):
next class to find somebody that isbetter than you. So I don't think
that Jetfish is right in the patternon that. What are you smiling about.
I'm just thinking about if Junior Colsongoes in the first round Thursday,
I'm gonna give you a look,and you're gonna give me that I'm gonna
punch you in a face look onThursday because that might always happen in the
first round of that draft. Iget it from you. I got peanut

(13:03):
butter and jelly dripping down his face. He's telling me do this, do
that. Oh dude, it's youknow what, you might even get your
Golden Eering money if he if helasts to eighty one, that may actually
happen. That may actually happen thisyear. All right, man, to
get that out of you. Youwill at some point, you will if
I have to go after your estatewhen you die of diabetes. Wow,
yes, wow, you want toget nask right now? You know what.

(13:26):
I'm in a good mood. I'mnot going down that road. Ask
him what he hate today. I'mnot going to get in the gutter with
you at all. I made astop at Dix on the way over here.
After I stop at seven eleven