Seahawks Swoop Up Lavasier Tuinei

Former Oregon receiver Lavasier Tuinei has come to terms on a free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Ducks leading receiver in 2011 was named Rose Bowl Offensive Player of the Game with career-highs with eight catches and 158 yards as well as two touchdowns against Wisconsin.

According to the Seahawks website,they have also signed Washington WR Jermaine Kearse.

(A look at Oregon wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei before the Washington game. Nicole Abeyta reports.)

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Senio Kelemete to Cardinals

With their fifth-round selection, the Cards took Washington G/T Senio Kelemete (6-4, 307), who played his final two seasons with the Huskies at LT but is viewed by scouts as a better fit at G. The Cards are set for starters at RG and LG with Daryn Colledge and Adam Snyder, but Kelemete provides depth after the Cards lost Deuce Lutui to the Seahawks in free agency and released last year's RG starter, Rex Hadnot.

Kelemete is the ideal size for an offensive guard at 6'4" and between 305-310 pounds. He also has good hands and feet and a powerful lower half. Fires off the ball quickly. Has a mean streak befitting a former defensive player, and he will be a solid run-blocker. Beefy enough to handle inside pass rush and can help his tackle with defensive ends rushing inside shoulder.

He needs more experience and needs to work on his technique. He sometimes plays too upright and appears off-balance when he stands up to pass block. Lacks elite footwork or size needed to play offensive tackle in the NFL.

Kelemete is inexperienced at offensive guard and has only been playing on the offensive line since 2009, so he may be a bit too raw to step into a starting role in his rookie season. 

Given a couple years of coaching and game experience, Kelemete should be a solid offensive guard in the NFL for many years to come.

On paper, this seems like a prudent pick for the Cardinals. The ball can't get to Larry Fitzgerald unless the QB is protected, and Kelemete could evolve into a starter in that role. 

(Senio Kelemete's 2012 NFL Combine video link)

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Steelers Trade Up To Take DT Alameda Ta'Amu

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta'Amu in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

The Steelers moved up 10 spots to grab Ta'Amu, exchanging fourth-round picks with the Washington Redskins while also giving the Redskins a sixth-round choice.

The 6-foot-3, 348-pound Ta-Amu gives Pittsburgh needed depth at nose tackle. Longtime backup Chris Hoke retired in January and veteran Casey Hampton is recovering from knee surgery.

Ta'Amu had 30 tackles and four sacks during his senior year with the Huskies and was an honorable mention All Pac-12 selection.

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Panthers Load Up On O-line With Silatolu

The need wasn’t immediate, but that didn’t stop the Carolina Panthers. 

They just selected Midwestern State offensive lineman Amini Silatolu in the second round (40^th overall). 

This one comes as a bit of a surprise. Most of Carolina’s remaining needs are on defense and their offensive line is in pretty good shape. 

Silatolu played left tackle in college, but projects as an NFL guard. The Panthers appear to be set there with Geoff Hangartner and Mike Pollak as the likely starters and Byron Bellproviding some depth. But this pick wasn’t about immediate need. 

Silatolu is a guy with huge upside, but he likely will need a little time to develop. He’ll get that time with Hangartner and Pollak ahead of him. But the Panthers want to protect quarterback Cam Newton for the long term. Pollak was signed only to a one-year contract and Hangartner isn’t much better than average. The Panthers obviously are hoping Silatolu can be better than average in a year or two. 

It also is possible the Panthers could view Silatolu as a tackle. There is some uncertainty at right tackle because of Jeff Otah's injury problems. But the Panthers already have some depth there with Garry Williams and Bell.

(Hurney & Rivera discuss their pick of Silatolu video link)

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2012 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern State

There are always a few small-school NFL Draft prospects you may never have heard of or seen on your television on Saturday afternoons in the fall, but who find the eye of NFL scouts nonetheless. One of the most intriguing prospect in that category for 2012 is Amini Silatolu, a 6-foot-3, 312-pound offensive guard from someplace called Midwestern State.

When I went looking for scouting reports on Silatolu, they all said pretty much the same thing. The one from Wes Bunting of the National Football Post was typical:

"He has some technique flaws that needs to be fixed and will need to kick inside at the next level. However, he's a wide-bodied athlete with a powerful/explosive frame, good foot quickness and can really pull from the backside. Might need some time, but is one of the top guards in the class with as much upside as any."

The very lengthy video below shows Silatolu as a man among boys as he shows his mean streak by pretty much brutalizing outclassed and under-sized opponents.

Amini Silatolu Highlights (via benniemac22)

D2Football.com says:

"Played left tackle in college but will kick inside to guard at the next level because he lacks the length to play outside in the NFL. He is raw but very mean and strong making him an ideal fit at guard. There are concerns about how quickly he will pick up the offensive system, which is why his grade is lower, but if he picks it up then he has a shot to start one day."

CBS Sports says Silatolu "could be a first-round surprise" and might be a fit for the Giants:

"One of the biggest reasons for the Giants' success in recent years has been their talent in the trenches, but the aging offensive line needs a facelift. Despite a talented backfield of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, the Giants finished last in the league in rushing yards per game and a large part of the blame belongs to the blockers. Although he played against lower level of competition, Silatolu might be one of the most aggressive blockers in this group. He started at left tackle in college, but looks ideal moving inside to guard and could be a first round surprise."

NFL.com says:

"Silatolu is a large, athletic interior lineman who has the ability to smother his opponents and consistently sustain his blocks through the end of plays. Coming from a small school like Midwestern State facing little competition, he will have an adjustment period far greater than other linemen as he enters the league. It is likely that a team will want to move him from his college position of tackle to inside, where his height will be more serviceable and he can use his athletic ability to get up field more often in the run game. Silatolu's greatest attribute is his footwork, as he is quick off the line of scrimmage and an active puller who can get outside, move up field and locate his blocks to quickly engage. He does not have great leverage or explosiveness in his play but possesses many strong assets for an interior lineman, giving him early second-round value to a team with the patience to develop him into a starter."

I am intrigued by the reports on this guy. The Giants are OK at guard for now with Chris Snee and either Kevin Boothe or Mitch Petrus, possibly affording them the ability to draft someone like this who might require some patience but pay long-range dividends. We also know Reese and the Giants always think big picture, another thing that might put a player like this in play.

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The Shock's Kindred Spirits

At the Shock practice facility, there's no shortage of grit on the gridiron. Talented athletes come from all over the country to play for the Shock. 

For offensive linemen Shannon Tevaga and Paulani Ma Sun, football is a game that builds fierce competition, "especially with our practices; our practices are rough," Tevaga said. 

Tevaga, 6'-3" and 315 lbs., spent his rookie season with Spokane last year and helped anchor the Shock's offensive line. Tevaga was placed on the Injured Reserve list earlier in the season but, once he was healthy, he made an instant impact earning the starting position in all seven of the games he played. 

Ma Su, 6'-5" and 320 lbs., appeared in 11 Shock games last year and recorded two receptions for 25 yards as a tight end on the offensive line. 

For this pair, the game also builds character - in every sense of the word.

"We have a lot of characters amongst our players," Shock owner and CEO Brady Nelson explained. "They're all characters."

Ma Sun said, "We like to have fun on and off the field."

The pair met last year - Tevaga hails from California and Ma Sun from Hawaii - but sitting together after practice on afternoon they seem more like long-lost brothers, poking fun at each other the whole time.

"We joke a lot, we make it fun," Ma Sun continued. "We enjoy our time when we're out here." 

"It's very exciting being with Paulani cause we're both Samoan, both Polynesian," Tevaga said.

It's a bond the they use to their advantage on the field. "It works to our advantage because we speak the same language, especially when we play other teams," Ma Sun said. 

In addition to sharing the same position, culture, and language the players also share one other thing: the same apartment. 

"At the beginning - because he got the master bedroom - I didn't think was fair cause I'm the master," Tevaga joked of their living situation. 

To ease the players' transition to Spokane and focus on football, the Shock put up all of the players in fully furnished apartments in Liberty Lake, free of charge. 

"I'm not going to lie, we're spoiled out here," Tevaga said, whose apartment comes with all new furniture and appliances including a new big screen TV. Nelson said the players also have new weight equipment in the gym this year. 

Back on the field, there are a few things these players won't joke about including their love for the fans.

"The fans are good," Tevaga continued. "Every time we go around, they always give us love."

They are also serious when it comes to winning it all this season. 

"That's why we came back - to win a championship."

SWX will air eight home games, including the regular season finale on Saturday, July 21, against Tampa Bay.

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Falcons Add Lofa Tatupu

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Falcons have reached a contract agreementwith free agent linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

Tatupu sat out all of last season while recovering from double knee surgeries. Atlantaworked him out Friday morning and struck the deal Saturday afternoon.

New Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan coached against Tatupu for several years in the NFC West, when Tatupu was Seattle’s middle linebacker and Nolan was San Francisco’s head coach.

The Falcons have a void at inside linebacker with Curtis Lofton appearing poised to test the free agent waters. Tatupu could end up competing for that spot with 2011 third-round pick Akeem Dent.

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Stamp of Approval To Go On American Haka

It's the haka, but not as we know it.

As the All Blacks international fame grows, an American college football team has taken to performing a whooping, crowing, hybridised version of the team's haka Ka Mate before games.

Ka Mate guardians Ngati Toa said they have no problem with the team using the haka – but they could do with a bit of discipline and technique.

The San Mateo Bulldogs American Football team has posted footage of its pre-match haka on its Facebook page and it is clearly based on Ka Mate.

The players stand in a circle whooping and jumping during the routine which then breaks into part of another haka, possibly Ngati Kahungunu's Tika Tonu, at the end.

"You can't fault their enthusiasm," said Teariki Wi Neera, who is on Ngati Toa's Ka Mate sub-committee.

But he said their rendition was a bit like "a bad Coke ad".

"We're incredibly proud of Ka Mate and we prefer to see it done properly."

Wi Neera said Ngati Toa would be happy to provide some instruction, an offer Bulldogs assistant coach Tim Tulloch said his players would be "ecstatic" to receive.

Tulloch said the players started performing haka before their games in 2009 and that year the team won the Northern California championships.

"I think it catapulted us to that championship. There's not a game since we have been doing this that we have not been ready for battle."

The team performs the haka in the dressing room as performing it on the field is a "decorum violation". Two decorum violations see a team suspended from the competition.

Tulloch said San Mateo, just south of San Francisco, had a large Polynesian population and one of the players on the team, Samoan Lyman Faoliu, had selected the haka they wanted to perform.

Faoliu had taught the team about the haka's history and significance but some input from a real Maori tribe would be "amazing", Tulloch said. 

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New York Jets Add Martin Tevaseu to Active Roster

The Jets have signed defensive tackle Martin Tevaseu to the active roster.

The UNLV product was activated for the AFC Championship Game last season and played well in the snaps he got. He also started over Kenrick Ellis in preseason when Sione Pouha was hurt. This move probably makes it less likely you will see Ellis on Monday.

The move is timely since the Jets are facing a backup quarterback getting his first start of the year Monday.

I like Tevaseu. He has played pretty well in that Playoff game last year and then in stretches of preseason ball. This coaching staff seems to do very well drilling consistent technique into defensive linemen. The undrafted player could potentially work himself into the equation as part of the rotation if he plays well.

This might also send a message to the defensive line as the Jets have given up big rushing days two of the last three times out. It could also have to do with a knee injury Ropati Pitoitua is allegedly nursing.

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Pride Pushes Te'o To Greatness

He's more than just a big man on campus.

Manti Te'o is Notre Dame's Big Kahuna.

The junior Irish linebacker is the most popular export from paradise since pineapples and the Elvis Presley Classic, "Blue Hawaii."

Here on the mainland, or any other land, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Te'o is special.

He's a tackling machine, fueled by skill and precision. Every stop is a clinic, heavy on fundamentals.

Te'o is so good, Notre Dame football fans might be tempted to take him for granted. Opposing offenses certainly won't.

If he's not making 21 tackles, like he did last season against Stanford, Te'o's efforts risk being considered pedestrian.

In last week's win over Purdue, Te'o had eight tackles. Hardly eye-popping. But with three tackles for loss, including a sack, his performance caught the attention of head coach Brian Kelly.

"He might have had his best game against Purdue," Kelly said. "He was very detailed. He's never a guy we worry about in terms of how he's going to play. Sometimes he tries to do too much. I thought that was his most disciplined game.

"He can recognize things before they happen. That's film study. The really great players have that."

Te'o had somewhat of a challenge going into the Purdue game. Coaches didn't hesitate to remind him that last year's season-opener against Purdue may have been his worst game.

"We talked about (how bad he played against Purdue last year)," said Irish defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Bob Diaco. "He had a lot of opportunity for production that didn't happen."

"I obviously understand what kind of game I had last year," Te'o said. "It wasn't the kind of game I want to have. I was just looking to get better, make sure it didn't happen again."

While cutting his teeth as a big-time contributor within the Notre Dame defense last year, Te'o dealt with growing pains. Consistency suffered. One time he'd lay the wood. The next, he'd whiff.

"We identified liabilities in every single player," Diaco said. "The players that are really at the top of their game, it's easy to just overlook them and focus on ...

"(Te'o) had things in his scheme that he needed to clean up. In the offseason, I made a cut-up of plays of just him and gave him an opportunity to watch it. It made a pretty big impact on him. From that moment, he's made a concerted effort, not only to do the things that we're working on, but he takes a lot of time and focuses on his liabilities - angles, foot action, transition from speed to power. He's basically eradicated that from his game."

"That cut-up (Diaco) made, showed me the mistakes I made," Te'o said. "It started from my angles. I got to see what happened. When you look at it like that, you can visualize, analyze and correct it. My dad (Brian) helped me a lot, reminding me of basic tackling fundamentals.

"I'm still trying to find a balance (in tackling). I'm trying to knock somebody out every time I hit them. I'm learning, when I'm in space and it's open-field tackling, it's not necessarily smart to try to take somebody's head off.

"If there's an opportunity to take somebody out, I'll take advantage of that. If it's open-field and I need to get the guy down, I'll get the guy down."

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