Seattle Sounders draft pick to spend 2014 on loan with the Cosmos

The Cosmos have one player on loan to an MLS side, but will have one loanee from the pacific northwest this season as well. According to Ives Galarcep, Jimmy Ockford will be spending the 2014 season in New York, on loan from the Seattle Sounders:

As he revealed via his Twitter account, Seattle Sounders draft pick Jimmy Ockford has signed w/Seattle and is going on loan to @NYCosmos

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) February 25, 2014

Ockford was taken 21st overall in the 2014 MLS Superdraft. He's a 6'1" defender, and should provide solid depth for a unit that was the best in the NASL last season. One has to wonder if this was part of the agreement which saw the Cosmos agree to let Andre Lewis spend the season on loan with the Vancouver Whitecaps, after the player signed with the Cosmos just prior to the draft. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it's quite possible the club made sure they'd have the ability to bolster their roster when agreeing to the deal.

Here's what Sounder at Heart had to say about Ockford after the club selected him:

According to his coaches, Ockford isn't a flashy defender, but one of the bruising centerbacks in the vein of the old English mold. He is solid on the tackle and has a good presence in the air despite standing at just 6'1. The style of Louisville's possession-oriented attack suited Ockford's style of play, but coaches expressed concerned that he doesn't handle the ball as well in pressured situations.

Also fun, Ockford has a pretty decent rap catalog. Who knew?