Jordan Tripp is the perfect Seahawks linebacker
On Monday, the Seahawks announced that Mike Morgan will be placed on IR for sports hernia surgery. Recovery time for this procedure is about five to six weeks, which means he should be ready for a week 11 return if they choose to bring him back. The corresponding roster move was to activate Jordan Tripp to the 53-man team, a promotion that excites many fans like myself who’ve always seen him as a Seahawks-type player.
Born and raised in Missoula, Montana, Jordan Tripp is a continuation of a rich football tradition that his father and grandfather built. As a senior in high school, he was named captain of the team and earned all-state and all-conference honors. During high school, his physical skill set was elevated through competition in track and field. For college he chose to stay close to home and attend the University of Montana.
As a senior, he started thirteen games with 100 tackles, three interceptions, and two sacks. That year he was the Big Sky preseason defensive MVP, All-Big Sky Conference first-team selection (second year in a row) and also earned first-team All-America honors. In 40 games played at Montana, Jordan started 25 while recording 235 total tackles, nine sacks, 24 tackles for loss, two interceptions, six passes defensed, seven fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles.
Jordan Tripp entered the NFL as the 171st pick of the 2014 draft, selected in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins. He was taken one spot before Seattle’s pick of defensive tackle Jimmy Staten who never panned out for the Seahawks. Not that the Hawks would’ve drafted Jordan., having used their previous pick on the much SPARQier Kevin Pierre-Louis. Jordan was very raw coming into the NFL but with high upside. Just like his new Seattle peers, he definitely believes in his talent. In a pre-draft interview with Fox Sports, Tripp said, “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I believe that I’m the most versatile linebacker in this draft. I believe I can run and cover better than any linebacker in this draft.”
A chest injury early on in his rookie season set him back, and subsequent injuries hindered him from catching up to where he needed to be. He recorded three sacks that year, but only while on special teams. The very first game of the following preseason in 2015, Tripp injured his ankle. He was released a few weeks later during final cuts. His phone wasn’t silent, though, as he participated in tryouts for the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders.
On September 22nd, 2015, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Jordan Tripp to their practice squad. On October 10th, he was promoted to the active roster. This marks the first indication that Jordan would be a fit for the Seahawks with former Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley making the call to bring the former Dolphin onto his Jaguar team. Jordan’s first NFL start came on December 13th, 2015 against the Indianapolis Colts. He was filling in for one of his mentors, Paul Posluszny, who had fractured his hand the week prior and was recovering post-surgery.
Before the game, Coach Bradley said about Tripp, “I give him a lot of credit because he knows all three positions. In practice prior week’s he’s been flipping back and forth where this week he’s really been able to lock into that spot.” After the game Bradley reflected, “I thought how he managed the huddle, how he directed traffic, how he took ownership of it and how he handled it.” It ended up being Tripp’s only start of the season but only because Posluszny returned the following week.
Ford Sports Performance is the best sports performance facility in the Northwest for athletes from all levels to train in their off-seasons. If you had been there over the past few months you would’ve found the veteran group of Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Mike Morgan, Brock Coyle and the rest of the Seahawks linebackers training together.
A couple younger faces you would’ve seen there would be those of Jordan Tripp and Myles Jack. The connection here is Brock who was raised in Montana and went to Montana State just like his good friend Jordan. Coming out of college there was significant draft buzz about both prospects, with Tripp getting the edge due to his athletic traits. We can even see a discussion of the two in this Patriots fan forum thread.
Tripp reached out to Coyle earlier this year and was welcomed to come train with the Hawks in the Northwest. The training paid off with Jordan getting his body into the physical shape needed to withstand the punishment of the NFL. He continued to improve as he reunited with his team at training camp, especially on special teams.
To the shock of many who follow their team, Jordan Tripp was cut a few weeks ago from the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a surprise because all signs pointed to all around improvement of his game. Jordan finished his first season as a Dolphin playing 13 games, yet registering only three combined tackles. He went on to finish his second NFL season as a Jaguar, playing 12 games but showed improvement with 14 combined tackles. Going into his third season this year, he’s looked better than he ever has been. Cue the opportune Seahawks to reap the benefits of his slow progression.
I’ve always wondered if the Seahawks don’t go after certain rookies and second-year players because they know that they need more time to develop and are willing to bet that those players will become available again down the road. This definitely feels like that.
So what does this all mean for the Seahawks?
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First, #59 is off to a great start with already having a rapport with the linebacker unit. He has been in that team leader role before. He exhibits high character traits, high work ethic, and a hyper-competitive side to his personality.
On the field, he has an excellent reaction to stopping the run. He is an athletic freak who truly understands the game. His family’s history with football runs deep. To Jordan Tripp, football is life. With all these traits he has, it’s clear where his two setbacks have come from. First would be his acclimation to the NFL. For many players who come from smaller conferences, there is a much steeper learning curve to the NFL’s level of game.
The level of competition simply isn’t enough to prepare the majority of small school players. However credit needs to be given to Montana State for developing excellent linebackers. Jordan Tripp is now the third linebacker on the Seahawks roster who came from the same team as Coyle (Alex Singleton was the second).
With Coyle and Tripp coming out of Montana State neck-and-neck, it could be argued that Coyle had the benefit of coming to a system like that of the Seahawks. Brock went to the Seahawks who were defending Super Bowl champions while Jordan went to the Dolphins in the middle of the Incognito scandal, a far less conducive system to developing success. Coyle got a clear shot to being backup to Bobby Wagner while Tripp wasn’t even drafted to compete for a linebacker spot initially. He was drafted as a special teamer on coverage and as an emergency long-snapper. Had Jordan been drafted by the Seahawks, he might’ve had the resources to excel and remain as a starter.
It’s clear that Jordan Tripp has the pedigree and mental-makeup to be great at his position, and the Seahawks have a system that will enable him to thrive. So how do his physical traits compare to what the Seahawks like?
Height & Weight –
Tripp : 6’3” 235 lbs.
Morgan: 6’3” 235 lbs.
Coyle: 6’1” 245 lbs.
40 Yard Dash –
Morgan: 4.46s
Coyle: 4.6s
Tripp: 4.67s
Vertical Jump –
Tripp: 47.5”
Coyle: 37”
Morgan: 34.5”
Broad Jump –
Morgan: 10’08”
Tripp: 10’0”
Coyle: 09’07”
20 Yard Short Shuttle –
Tripp: 3.96s
Coyle: 4.28s
Morgan: 4.43s
Three Cone –
Coyle: 6.74s
Tripp: 6.89s
Morgan: 6.96s
225 lb. Bench Press –
Morgan: 27 reps
Coyle: 25 reps
Tripp: 22 reps
Looking at these numbers, the weakest aspects to Tripp’s physical skill set is his 40 yard dash time and bench press reps. However any concerns about this translating to on-field performance is erased by his stats at vertical jump and 20-yard short shuttle. This translates on the field with excellent lower-body control, balance, and excellent movement skills. Much of his core strength and balance comes from years of Olympic-level weight training and yoga. According to mockdraftable.com, these are the notable players that Jordan Tripp compares to physically per position:
OLB-
Derrick Johnson (2005 – 75.2%)
ILB-
Luke Kuechly (2012 – 74.9%)
Stephone Anthony (2015 – 72.3%)
DE-
Eli Harold (2015 – 71%)
Ty Powell (2013 – 68.9%)
Jackson Jeffcoat (2014 – 68.4%)
Randy Gregory (2015 – 66.9%)
Keep in mind that though this is not a illustration of talent, it’s reassuring to know that he has a physical ceiling that compares to about 70% of each of these other players. While not elite, definitely at the level needed to play as a Seahawks linebacker.
When we look at Jordan Tripp’s history, it makes perfect sense why he is now a Seahawk. Football runs deep in his blood. The game is his life and his life is the game. He has the drive to succeed and the physical traits needed to excel as a Seahawk. He has shown to be efficient at stopping the run, blitzing from multiple positions and covering tight ends. He excels at special teams play and can drop into coverage and set the edge well, with the ability to take on double-teams. His exellent vision and recognition is bolstered by a high football IQ. He can plant his foot and take off with elite quickness, with great hips to redirect immediately. Over the next few weeks we will hear from the Seahawks vets who have bonded with Tripp, witnessing what he brings to their team.
Expect glowing praise and high hopes for great success. His road to Seattle feels like a long one, but at 25 years old, this is the perfect time for him to take his game to the next level and truly achieve the dream he was built for.
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