Seahawks’ Marsh has versatility, football pedrigree
May 10, 2014, 10:08 AM | Updated: Apr 8, 2016, 10:51 am
By Danny O’Neil
RENTON – After choosing two players over the first two days of the draft, Seattle will have three picks in the fourth round alone, a blitz that began with the selection of Cassius Marsh, a defensive end from UCLA.
The rationale: Pass rush is paramount to the Seahawks. They demonstrated that last year with the offseason signings of Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, and the selection of Marsh shows Seattle will always be looking for that push off the edge.
Cassius Marsh | DE | UCLA
• Height/Weight: 6-4, 252 | • Drafted: Round 4, No. 108 overall | • Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif. | • Notable: Marsh’s father Curtis was a wide receiver who played three seasons in the NFL and his older brother, who is also named Curtis, is a defensive back with the Eagles. |
He was productive in the Pac-12 with seven sacks as a junior and five as a senior. He’s also a fiery player, someone who was ejected from UCLA’s game against Cal for throwing a punch mid-play.
The risk: He weighed 300 pounds when he was a freshman, which he characterized as “sloppy”. He trimmed down significantly, first to 285 at tackle and then down to 265 once coach Jim Mora arrived and Marsh moved to defensive end.
At this point, he could be considered undersized as a defensive end. However, the Seahawks’ specs at that position are changing as evidenced by Seattle’s decision to cut Red Bryant, the biggest of the Seahawks’ defensive linemen.
Two personal notes: First, his father Curtis Marsh played wide receiver in the NFL. Cassius’ older brother Curtis, who is named after their father, is a defensive back with the Eagles. Second, Cassius said he was watching “The Last Samurai” with his dog, a pit bull named “Boss” whom Marsh called the cutest dog in the world. Informed that Marshawn Lynch would love his dog, Marsh asked, “Why? Does he love pit bulls?” Nope. He loves calling people boss.