Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is pleased it answered the phone yesterday, listened intently, if not suspiciously, and then got to writing.

Yesterday afternoon a concerned someone called and offered me a tip. In case I wasn’t expecting it — and I wasn’t — said person assured me Bruce Irvin would go in the first round. Apparently a team had decided to lay low for most of this draft process before jumping on the Bruce bandwagon in the past few days. This team, which was never mentioned specifically, despite my efforts, was ready to use a late first-round pick.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Fifteen! Mid-first round!

The draft is crazy, man. I suspect the Seattle Seahawks were not the team the tipper tried to tip. I was told last night Irvin and the Seahawks barely interacted before the draft. Yet we’re hearing now that there was plenty of first-round and even upper-half interest in Irvin. It helps, of course, that Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll had a rather familiar relationship with Irvin, having researched and recruited Irvin when Carroll was at USC and Irvin was at Mt. San Antonio College and even played host to the defensive end on a visit.

So, yeah, that junior college run at Mt. SAC was pretty beneficial, huh? Especially when he started to figure out both football and his life.

“What I noticed between the first year and the second year here was that something clicked and he said, ‘Hey, I can make a living doing this,'” Jastrab said Thursday night on campus in Walnut, Calif. “He was always the hardest-working player on the field in the second year for us, no matter what we were doing.

“I look back on it now and wish I had filmed it to show the other players because he did it the way you’re supposed to do it.”

I can’t predict what happens next. I do think he is, at the very least, in a good spot. The G.M. likes Irvin enough to make the move rather than risk moving down and losing the guy he really wanted. The coach knows and trusts Irvin, based on first-hand knowledge and not a pre-draft interview. The Seahawks had a need because they were just average on pass rush last season — 33 sacks, t-19 in the NFL. And the 4-3 defense has a hybrid DE/LB position called the Leo. Chris Clemons has played it in both of the seasons Carroll has been the coach and had a pair of 11-sack seasons. And Clemons is also a 30-year-old, eight-year veteran in the final year of his contract.

Look, the fortuitous part is done. The hardest part — harder than anything to precede this, which, in Irvin’s case, says an awful lot — remains. But seriously, do you think that guy is going to drop the ball now?

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, you better run, you better do what you can. Don’t wanna see no blood, don’t be a macho man. You wanna be tough, better do what you can, so beat it!

Mack said:

You can repost this tomorrow when I’m wrong, but I would bet money that Bruce Irvin is not drafted in the first round. I’d probably bet he’s not drafted in the second round also.

Done.

Foul Shot said:

Hoping Mack feels really strongly about us struggling in football and hoops next year.
If I remember correctly, the last 1st rounder we had was PAC Man 7 years ago.
Hopefully Bruce’s star shines a bit brighter in the NFL.

Devil’s advocate: This is a stunner, right? Am I wrong that I’m stunned. I’m excited for the kid man, but I was watching with my buddy Chris and I’m not sure whose jaw dropped faster or harder. I just remember someone going “Whoa…WHOA” and then my phone started convulsing. And yes, Adam Jones, from a similarly sharp upbringing in a rough part of Atlanta, was WVU’s last first-round pick. So WVU won a Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl against a pretty good Georgia Tech and a Car Care Bowl against a pretty talented North Carolina and had one first-round pick who played all of 26 games?

Mack said:

Hilarious. The fact that Mel Kiper was shocked at least makes me feel better.

Regarding draft strategy, if no one thinks a player will go that high, then why doesn’t Seattle trade down and draft him 10 (or 20) picks later?

My guess is that you don’t want to lose him. And Carroll is an aggressive guy. But Quinton Coples went next, so maybe Irvin wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyhow. Four more pass rushers went after that before the end of the first round and two are guys at least similar to Irvin. I don’t pretend to know, but it looks like someone was going to take a shot.

hershy112 said:

So I’ve been trying to catch up on some of the draft coverage this morning, and my goodness, you would think Bruce Irvin was a train wreck. I know of players that are far worse off than he is with off the field problems that were drafted higher than he was. I think people are making too big of a deal of his off the field “issues”.

Lazy talking point, no more, no less, but the conversation has to take place. To me, the larger and greater story, the one that should be told with more volume, is a kid with no one and nothing took it upon himself to change everything about his present and his future.

The 25314 said:

I have your back Mack. I would rather someone offer a dissenting opinion, if only for the sake of balance, than the rah-rah WVU propoganda. A 15th pick for a situational pass rusher, who might play 30 downs at most in a game is not a good allocation of resources. I see a lot of Joe Alexander in this pick. Exceptional athlete and work out warrior, but unpolished football/basketball skills.

But, whether Bruce went #15 or completely undrafted, he was good while at WVU, and that’s all that matters to me.

I like the Alexander comparison … and I trust Bruce way, way more to carry the ball across the goal line here. Another difference: Alexander flourished under Huggins. I don’t think Irvin has really been coached to the point he’s flourished. That’s yet to come.

lowercase jeff said:

Pro Football Talk (which is unabashedly pro-wvu) is reporting that at least 7 teams are confirmed to have had irvin in the top 15. for those that dont know, that’s a very well respected source. ran by mike florio, nbc’s nfl guy. he’s always talking about “his” mountaineers. guess he went here?

mike, i did not know mike patrick was an ‘eer. thats awesome.

Mike went to Carnegie Mellon, I believe to be an engineer, and then went to WVU’s law school. Mike Patrick went to George Washington. Florio is a fan who resides in Bridgeport. Patrick is a fan who is from Clarksburg and lives in northern Virginia … and, seriously, the nicest guy you’ll meet.

SheikYbuti said:

Florio was a couple of years ahead of me in law school at WVU. He was a bit of legend among the law review staff for having devised intricately detailed and comprehensive study outlines for the required first-year courses.

Where else are you going to get that info?

overtheSEC said:

How about the Browns drafting Weeden? Was probably an awkward night in the McCoy house.
(There Mike, now you have a natural segue to air your Browns grievances in the FF without it feeling forced or out of place)

Not only that, but Weeden is a Holgorsen guy, so there’s always a fit from now on. That said, it kills McCoy and his dad will be pissed. They could have propped McCoy up with Richardson and a receiver, but they decided to end the McCoy era, I’d say. That’s fine, but I’m not sure why they needed to do it there. They have the fourth pick today and none of those teams from No. 23-35 were taking Weeden. Still need a receiver and two more could go in the top-three today.

Jeff in Akron said:

Something we as fans need to understand about the defense and its rankings, things are changing. The overall ranking of the defense is going to get worse even if the defese plays just as well as it has. The Mountaineers are not going to win conference games 24-21, or 21-20. There may be an occasional game with that score but looking at the scores out of the Big XII last year it was more like 34-31 week in and week out. Those extra ten points account for additional yardage, and points, and hurt the overall ranking of defenses nationally.

With that in mind, if the Mountaineer defense is in the top-50 nationally they will be playing quality defense in the Big-XII. Since 2007 WVU has had two defenses ranked in the top-10 for overall defense. Had those defenses been playing in this year’s Big-XII, both woud have been lucking to stay in the top-25. Playing defense in the Big East and playing defense in the Big-XII is not an apples to apples comparison.

Absolutely, and it started last season, I think, and maybe that encouraged Jeff Casteel to jump. The ideals have changed. Points per game is the key stat. Casteel loved points allowed. Dana’s offense requires a lot more of the defense and, at the minimum, Joe DeForest grasps that. Keep an eye on third down offense/defense and red zone TDs/FGs. Those become the stats that matter.

SheikYbuti said:

It’s way early, but at the moment, I have more confidence in our defense slowing down the other team’s offense than I have in the other team’s defense slowing down our offense. As long as that doesn’t change, I’ll be happy.

Oh, keep an eye on that, too.

Birch said:

Man, if Bill Stewart and Mack Brown could have had the chance to coach in the same league? Would have been a fact checker’s El Dorado.

But Bill and Mack coached on the same North Carolina staff. Julius Peppers and Lawrence Taylor and Natrone Means and Derrick Fenner and Dre Bly and Stuart Scott and Michael Jordan were on the Big Ten title team in 1978.

hershy112 said:

Gary Patterson doesn’t know his WVU history very well either:

“They’re not going to give you a ball game, you have to go take it.”

Ummm, yeah, yeah, you have to take it from us, that’s right. It’s not like we’ll fumble at the goal line in OT, or have terrible special teams to where you block a punt/kick for a TD or return a kickoff for a TD at a key time. You have to, ahem, take it.

Splendid.

Josh24601 said:

Will Holgo signal plays this season? Didn’t he say last year that his signals comprise hand motions and stares that take place over a vanishingly short time period? If both these are true, how will Dawson be calling the plays from the box? It seems there won’t be enough time, especially between plays, for Dawson to suggest a play and Holgo to then agree or disagree and then signal to Geno the play settled on.

It’s going to happen that way. I think they’ll talk very fast and plan ahead as can. The communication will have to be brief and trust Shannon and Dana will know what one another are thinking, which should expedite things. Plus, Holgorsen will have the final say.

Lee in Dayton said:

Some of the things Dawson has said in interviews make me think he’s borderline insane* – and I mean that in a totally good way. “Third and a foot? Let’s go four verticals – they’ll never expect it” – THAT kind of insane. Could be a wild ride this year.

*The Crazy Cajun? Hmmm…

You need to have that, right? I mean, don’t you need to think a little wild and, on occasion, show that you’re likely to do something crazy, unconventional and unpredictable? Not haphazard or stupid or consistently reckless, but periodically volatile. I would argue yes. Put it this way: The last guy who sat in that chair …

netbros said:

You may be looking at WVU’s 34th head football coach in a few years.

Hey, netbros … first!

overtheSEC said:

So what ARE “mountain sports” really? Moonshine makin’? Log splittin’? Tree climbin’? Snow shovelin’? Sister chasin’? Meth cookin’? Pill poppin’?

Hmm. Wife carryin’, right? That’s a “legitimate” sport. Perhaps I’ll ask when my previously planned appearance happens tonight. Same time and station, but you’ve all ruined it for me already. You owe me a phone call as recompense.

Dave said:

I think you just listed the entire list for the Mountain X-games.

Yes!

glibglub said:

Regarding the Mountain X games: a feud’n and a fight’n are also events.

Only in years when contested in the southern part.

Mack said:

Make a note of it so you can make me look like an idiot in three years. . . but I’m going to say it:

Andrew Buie will never be a standout running back.

Andrew Buie is suddenly very excited about the future.

Jeff in Akron said:

I’ll join in on that walk too.

Nobody has been more frustrated, and irritated, with Ryan Clarke than yours truly. With that said, “IF” he has overcome his fumbllitous, he could be a huge benefit to this offense and the running game. The diamond formation with Clarke, Alston, and Garrison becomes much more dangerous. Plus, should Clarke play his way into one back sets, he could do some real damage catching passes out of the backfield. Once upon a time, we were all livid over a series where Clarke was running at will and never got the ball again. This coaching staff would not make the same blunder.

Yeah, but the worm turned for Clarke last year like no one else. I don’t think the offense is entirely comfortable with Alston, or a guy big like him, but Alston, to his credit, has left the coaches with no choice. I wonder if Clarke has enough time, if he’ll get enough opportunities, to make a similar case.

50yrfan said:

Our blue chip QB didn’t play because of off the field conduct. Any thoughts where that is going?

Well, if nothing else it’s promising because, under a different coach, Jorge Wright played last year a day after being arrested with pot and a gun — and Wright has done everything the right way ever since. Have to hold out the same hope and expectations for Ford Childress now. College kid, (far) away from home and he had a bad night. Let’s leave it at that right now. If it happens again …

JC said:

I’m sure Ford will be getting to know the law school hill intimately, as well as most of the stadium steps. First time is a mistake, second time is a pattern. He should be fine.

I agree about Buie too. I think Holgs may have seen how a big back/little back combo can do well in his system, so a go to guy isn’t all that important, IMO. The coaches always comment on his explosiveness but I’ve never seen it. Seems good at running straight ahead and directly into bigger/hard hitting defesive players.

I’ll say this about Buie … he was this close a few times in the scrimmage. But that’s all I’ve seen from him since the Orange Bowl, where he was pretty good. I just don’t know. I do know Burney and Clayton are coming in the summer and people, including Garrison, are talking excitedly about Garrison’s recovery.

Bobby Heenan said:

Agree on Buie, but I’m still willing to give him a little more of a chance. His vision needs work, and I just have a gut feeling that he continues to be worried about making a mistake and isn’t just out there playing yet. If by midway this year he doesn’t break out I think maybe we’ve solidified his skill set assessment. Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I just feel like if he can get one big game, mistake free, under his belt, then he plays looser and better.

As for Childress, this has got to be a wake up call. I’m thinking that right now he can’t see himself playing, so that sense of urgency to get to work just isn’t there and he slipped up. I think Dana and the fan base sees the importance in his development and how much rides on it, but maybe he just didn’t see it yet. Hopefully he does now. He’s got to develop, because come this time next year he’s going to be in a battle to start as a RS Freshman or Sophomore (God forbid) for a top 25 program. That’s just not a common opportunity.

They don’t call him The Brain for nothing. Laying in with the heavy artillery!

Lee in Dayton said:

Re the 16 offensive players: Gotta think Glowinski will work his way into that number this summer, but that’ll just make it 17. Dana wasn’t being literal, IMO.

Agreed. Though it’s hard, especially since he wasn’t here for the spring, he could be an exception.

I love you, Doug! said:

I know it was just a spring game, but am I the only one who might see a punt- return opportunity for Broderick Jenkins? His moves on the INT return were Vaughn Riversarian.

He’s been right there the past two years, just never had a chance with the guys in front of him. I can see him taking back punts this season because I just wonder what comes of Tavon there.

glibglub said:

What — is he retiring? Who will match his rate of wordplay per column inch? Not to mention the sartorial finery.

Huge void JackBo leaves.

overtheSEC said:

Jack’s not retiring, he’s moving to Brooklyn Heights to practice obstetrics while his wife, Clair, practices law. Though he’ll agonize over his alma mater (Hillman’s) struggles on the football field, he’ll raise his five children and wear his sweaters in peace.

So you got the email?

SheikYButi said:

Well, maybe Jack can make like Josh Groban and lift them up.

Enjoy the weekend!