Hawk Talk highlights: Tye Smith, Tharold Simon each fighting for a role in Seahawks’ secondary

Danny O’Neil hosted a live Seahawks chat on Tuesday as “Hawk Talk” continues into the offseason. Here’s the transcript. Highlights are below.

Brian asked about the statuses and progress of cornerbacks Tharold Simon and Tye Smith.

Danny O’Neil: Truly puzzled about Tye Smith. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has gone out of his way to praise Tye Smith several times. I know that there was a belief that he didn’t have the speed that you’d like on the outside, but was very studious and could be a great nickel corner. On Tharold Simon: The Seahawks would love having him healthy enough to compete for a starting job, and he absolutely could earn the starting job or at the very least be someone who plays on the outside in nickel packages. But he has essentially missed two of his three seasons in the league. Counting on him to stay healthy is trouble.

Chris asked if Danny thought Pro Football Focus ranking the Seahawks’ roster 13th in the NFL in terms of talent was low.

Danny O’Neil: Yes, it seems low to me as well, particularly because of how excited the scouting department was over the haul from the draft.

Tom Page asked why Tom Cable feels so strongly about rookie center Joey Hunt despite not being particularly big, strong, or athletic.

Danny O’Neil: Great question. Must be his feel for the position and his mobility. That is something that’s valued along the line, but if he winds up starting, he will be the smallest starting offensive lineman I’ve seen for the Seahawks. That is assuming we’re not considering Kelly Jennings for his replacement long-snapping duties.

Bend, Oregon asked if Chiefs All-Pro Eric Berry being rated higher than Earl Thomas would give the Seahawks safety a chip on his shoulder.

Danny O’Neil: Earl has a lot of respect for Eric Berry. They entered the league the same year, and Berry was drafted No. 5 overall that season. That said, I think Earl is now a better player than Eric Berry. But I don’t think that’s the kind of slight Earl obsesses about.

Hawks2theBone asked what type of season fans can expect from wide receiver Tyler Lockett in his second year.

Danny O’Neil: I think it’s possible he takes a massive step forward this year. Is Desean Jackson a reasonable comparison? I think he might.

Belfasthawk asked if it seems strange that the Seahawks have apparently not contacted Doug Baldwin’s agent about a contract extension.

Danny O’Neil: If there’s one thing I could advise people about contract negotiations: Do not read ANYTHING into who has contacted who or whether there’s an offer on the table. Contract agreements are like a pregnancy. Getting “close” doesn’t count for anything and once it happens, it doesn’t really matter how long it took to get there. The idea that it’s significant that sides have “started talking” is absurd. And whether a valid offer is on the table or not is completely misleading. Both sides have a pretty good idea about what the other is looking for (or in the team’s case, offering).