The Seahawk Boys Fearless and Stupid NFL Blog 2010

2011 Draft Scenarios - Part 1 - The Line

2011-02-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

Seahawks 2011 Projected Pick Breakdown

Round Pick
1 25
2 57*
3 No pick
4 103* (From SF via NE for Deion Branch)
4 131* (Possible Compensatory pick, assumes 3 compensatory picks at the end of round 3)
5 153*
5 154* (from BAL for Josh Wilson)
6 173* (From DET for Lawrence Jackson)
7 198* (from CLE for Seneca Wallace)

*Assumed position based on 2010 finish; does not include possible compensatory picks.

Overview: With 8 potential picks in the 7 rounds the Seahawks are well positioned to add quality starters and depth in the 2011 draft. They also have the potential to combine some picks and move up to improve their draft positions.

The Hawks proved last year they could find quality at the top of the draft (Russel Okung #6, Earl Thomas #14) and in the middle rounds (Walter Thurmond, 4th round #111, Kam Chancellor, 5th round #133). However WR Golden Tate (2nd round, #60) had a disappointing rookie year and DL E.J. Wilson (4th round, #127) was a complete bust, being waived by the team late in the season. Sixth rounder Anthony McCoy and 7th rounder Jamethon Konz ended up as the 4th and 5th TE's on the squad and neither played a down.

The good news about 2011 is that all the Hawks draft picks are in the top 200, and Schneider and Carroll proved they could find value in those lower picks. So given that, let's take a look at one potential scenario for the 2011 Seahawks draft choices.

Scenario 1 – Draft For The Line

Round Pick Rank Player Pos School Stats
1 25 39 Phil Taylor DT Baylor 6-4/337
2 57* 83 Colin Kaepernick QB Nevada 6-5/225
3 No pick
4 103* 108 Vincent Brown WR S.D. St. 5-11/184
4 131* 140 Jalil Brown CB Colorado 6-0/200
5 153* 153 Marcus Gilbert OT Florida 6-6/329
5 154* 139 Stanley Havili FB USC 6-1/228
6 173* 173 Zach Hurd OG Conn. 6-7/325
7 198* 198 Mike Mohamed ILB Cal. 6-1/241

Round 1 - Pick #25 - Given the depth of the draft at the DL position and given the Hawks needs on both lines, this pick is likely to be spent on a lineman. Baylor's Phil Taylor (#39 ranking) has the massive size and Top-20 talent to play over the nose or at the 3 technique DT. Call him Brandon Mebane insurance. Ingnoring the 5 technique DE position could be a problem if Red Bryant can't come back 100%, but the Seahawks do have Kentwan Balmer and Raheem Brock to potentially fill that position. And Taylor has too much upside to pass up. He could be a trainwrecker inside, especially if teamed with Mebane.

Round 2 - Pick #57 - The Seahawks need a young QB to become their heir apparent to Matt Hasselbeck, and Colin Kaepernick fills that void. At 6-5/255 Kaepernick possesses mobility, a strong arm, and better accuracy than UW's Jake Locker. Based on his current rank (#83 prospect) this pick could be a reach, but there is always a premium on QB's and Kaepernick could end up rising much higher after the combine.

Round 4 - Pick #103 - With the disappointing rookie year of Golden Tate and the late season injury to Deon Butler, the Hawks have a need at WR. I love San Diego St. wideout Vincent Brown (#108). Brown had a fantastic Senior Bowl week, catching everything in sight and showing an ability to separate from the corners covering him. Possessing a burst off the line, explosiveness out of his cuts and sticky hands, Brown could be the steal of the draft.

Round 4 - Pick #131 - Corner is now the need position on the board, and the Hawks found a good DB last year near this pick with Kam Chancellor. Both Chris Rucker of Michigan St. (#133, 6-2/200, 4.55) and Jalil Brown of Colorado (#140, 6-0/200, 4.49) measure up for size and speed. With Marcus Trufant on the decline the Hawks need help here, and I like Brown just a little bit better.

Round 5 - Pick #153 - If the Seahawks keep these picks, then it's time to pick up some road graters. Florida OT Marcus Gilbert projects exactly to this pick and comes in at 6-6/329. That's road grater material right there.

Round 5 - Pick #154 - Projects out as the Ravens pick for Josh Wilson. The Hawks select USC FB Stanley Havili (#139, 6-1/228). Some may scoff at taking a FB this high, especially with other needs, but Havili is a good blocker, which should make it easier for the Hawks to run max protect and get John Carlson out in the passing patterns more often instead of being stuck inside to block. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield, with 84 career receptions for 894 yards (over 10 yards per catch) and 10 TD's. Also had a 6.4 yards per carry career average.

Round 6 - Pick #173 - The second road grater, Zach Hurd, OG, of Connecticut. 6-7/325 says it all.

Round 7 - Pick #198 - Mike Mohamed, ILB, Cal. The Hawks need depth at ILB, and Mohamed plays all out every down.

Trade Up Scenario: The Hawks trade the #103 pick and the #154 pick to move up into the late 3rd round and take USC CB Shareece Wright, 5-11/184. They then take Havili at #133 and Ronald Johnson, USC WR/KR at #153.

Round Pick Rank Player Pos School Stats
1 25 39 Phil Taylor DT Baylor 6-4/337
2 57* 83 Colin Kaepernick QB Nevada 6-5/225
3 No pick
4 91* 91 Shareece Wright CB USC 5-11/182
4 131* 139 Stanley Havili FB USC 6-1/228
5 153* 153 Ronald Johnson WR USC 5-11/186 (4.46)
6 173* 173 Zach Hurd OG Conn. 6-7/325
7 198* 198 Mike Mohamed ILB Cal. 6-1/241

A Seahawk Boys Manifesto: How to Fix The NFL for the 21st Century

2011-02-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

1. 16 Game Schedule - Time to enshrine this one in the annals of sports history. 16 games is the perfect season. Not too long, keeps you wanting more. Unlike MLB, the NBA, and NHL, which go on far too long.

2. Schedule Rotation - Eliminate the "1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4" scheduling. It's irrelevant. Next year the Seahawks will travel to Dallas for the third time in five years and Pittsburgh for the second time in five years, with no return dates. Instead, play six games in your division (2 each home and away); six in your conference on a rotating schedule (2 from each other divisions in your conference, such as Dallas (East) Carolina (South) and Green Bay (North) at home; Washington (East) New Orleans (South) and Detroit (North) away. Swap the other two teams from each division the next year, then reverse the home/away matchups and repeat. Play one team from each of the other Conference divisions each year for the final four games. You play every team in your conference every other year, and host them at least once every four years. Likewise you would play every AFC team once every four years and host every AFC team once every eight years. Guaranteed.

3. TV - Make a minimum of 6 games available FREE each weekend. Two each on CBS and FOX, one on NBC, MNF on ESPN. Get rid of blackouts and blocking out-of-market games. No more weekends where you only get one morning game and one afternoon game. Dump the Sunday Ticket deal with DirecTV and make all games available in all markets on all cable/satellite systems on Pay-Per-View.

4. Free Agency - Players become unrestricted free agents after four years. Franchise tag can only be applied for one year. Free agents with less than four years service time are Restricted Free Agents. Teams have right-of-first-refusal on RFA's. End tendering and draft pick compensation for signing RFA's.

5. The Draft - Institute a rookie salary cap, with schedules for bonuses and salaries. Adjust the schedules every two years. Reduce the draft to six rounds with the 7th round as a "Compensatory" round. Teams that lose more players than they sign in FA get a compensatory pick for each FA lost over FA's signed. Example: Detroit loses 6 FA's and signs 4. They get two compensatory picks, awarded in inverse order of their finish. If Detroit has the worst record, and 7 other teams receive compensatory picks; Detroit would get picks 1 and 9 in the 7th round.

6. Rules Changes -

• Make Intentional grounding legal. Getting the QB to throw it away is already a win for the defense and it would protect quarterbacks.
• Make offensive holding a five yard penalty.
• Hits above the shoulder pads are not allowed. Any player that hits above the shoulder receives a game ejection and $25,000 fine. Second offense in the same season is an ejection, $50,000 fine, and one-game suspension without pay. Third offense is ejection, $150,000 fine, and three game suspension.
• Any player who has two hands on the ball and two feet on the ground for one second has a catch, regardless of whether or not the ball then hits the ground.
• Eliminate the tuck rule.

7. The Season - Start the season on Labor Day Weekend. Have three games scheduled on Labor Day Monday. Start the season with a Thursday night Super Bowl Rematch.

8. The Playoffs - Add a fourth Wild Card (7th playoff team) in each conference, bringing the total to 14. It's not like the fans want less playoff football, and why should the 2nd place team in each conference get a first week bye? Make them play like everybody else.

9. Start Times - Make a simple rule; no western team (Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland, Arizona, Denver) traveling across multiple time zones (Central or Eastern) should have to play a game before 1:00 PM in their local market. This gives the eastern teams a massive, and unnecessary, advantage.

10. The Super Bowl - Get it back to the last weekend in January. The season is long enough already. February is for Valentine's Day, the Daytona 500, and snowstorms.

--Dave Bara

Seahawks Projected 2-Deep

2010-04-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Seahawks Starters and 2-Deep Depth Chart 2010 (Projected)

Offense

LT - Okung* LG - Hamilton+ C-Spencer RG - Unger RT - Locklear TE - Carlson

(Locklear) Gibson Byers+ Vallos Willis Baker+
Phillips+

WR - Housh QB - Hasselbeck WR – Branch
M. Williams Whitehurst+ Tate*

FB - Schmidt RB - White+
Griffith Forsett

Defense

LE - Jackson LT - Mebane RT - Cole RE – Clemons+
C.J. Wilson* Bryant Nickerson+ Davis*

OLB - Hill MLB - Tatupu OLB - Curry
Herring Hawthorne McCoy+

LCB - Trufant SS - Chancellor* FS - Thomas* RCB - J. Wilson
Jennings Milloy Babineaux Thurmond*

* = 2010 Draft pick
+ = 2010 FA/Trade

15 of 44 = New players
5 of 22 = New starters

Seahawk Boys 2010 Draft Projections

2010-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Round Pick Player Position Size School Rank Comments

1 - 6 Brian Bulaga LT 6-6/314 Iowa 6
Experienced in the zone blocking scheme. No. 3 rated left tackle. Could move inside to guard in the future.

1 - 14 Everson Griffen DE 6-4/273 USC 23
Played for Carroll at USC. Great rush end with speed to the football. No. 3 rated DE.

2 - 60 Chad Jones SS 6-2/221 LSU 78
No. 1 ranked SS. ‘Excellent in run support and closes well’; also returns kicks.

4 - 104 Dan LeFevour QB 6-3/230 Central Michigan 100
Accurate arm, good size and mobility. Not great on the deep ball. QB-of-the-future prospect.

4 - 127 Zane Beadles OG 6-5/310 Utah 132
Played in zone blocking scheme at Utah. Scouted recently by Hawks. Did 30 reps on the bench at Utes Pro Day.

5 - 133 LeGarrette Blount RB 6-1/241 Oregon 173
A big back that loves to hit. Size and speed combo puts him on Hawks radar.

5 - 139 Larry Asante SS 6-0/212 Nebraska 159
Experienced player with good size and hitting ability fills need for a second safety.

6 - 176 A.J. Jefferson CB 6-0/193 Fresno St. 195
Good size at 6 feet and 3/8 and a 4.42 speed is hard to find in the sixth round.

7 - 245 Freddie Barnes WR 6-0/215 Bowling Green 242
Just decent size and speed (4.67) but the fact is he gets open. Holds NCAA record of 155 receptions in a single season.

db

Times Reporter is Delusional - Thinks Drafting Sanchez Would Have Been a "Disaster"

2009-09-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Times reporter Jerry Brewer has towed the company line and posted a pre-emptive strike against all those who question the decision to draft OLB Aaronn Curry over USC QB Mark Sanchez. Here is the link.

I just couldn't help myself:

The reasons for taking Sanchez over Curry were myriad and obvious. For the record, I was screaming Sanchez’ name at my TV when “Timmay!” drafted Curry. This is not some revisionist position taken after the fact.

Your article was a good recitation of the company line, but it was just wrongheaded on several points.

First, the Seahawks desperately needed a new QB, not just of the future, but of the present. Hasselbeck, for all his successes, is 34 years old and as we all know has a bulging disk in his back. Now, I have known lots of people with disk problems, and none of them, not even one, has ever just "gotten better." And the idea that such an injury is going to get better while playing professional football is laughable. The simple fact is that Matt Hasselbeck is in physical decline and he's getting brittle. He was also god-awful last year aside from the injuries. He's looked a little better so far this year, but let's face it; his best years are behind him. Also, please spare me the excuses about how he didn't have any receivers or an offensive line. Go back and look at some of the games from last year. He was under no duress at all when he threw the game deciding INT against the Redskins, for instance.

Then you factor in that Seneca Wallace is the next guy in line. I have had the displeasure of watching him perform live three times now, including last weekend at that piss-pot known as Candlestick Park. He misses wide open guys, is slow on the reads he does make, is frequently inaccurate - which turns potentially big plays into short gains - and even when he does see an open receiver, he doesn't have the arm strength to get the ball there before the defenders can close on (and decapitate) the poor unfortunate soul who is going up for the fluttering ball he has thrown them. Ask T-Ho about that one.

The simple fact is that the Seahawks were deluding themselves into thinking that they didn’t need to upgrade at QB. Hasselbeck is fading, and they have no one ready to step in and replace him.

Second, there was no desperate need for an OLB on this team. They had Peterson and Hill last year, and they won 4 games. Even if Curry is as good as Peterson was last year, will that really help this team win many games? Not as many as Sanchez would have, this year and into the future. They could have taken an OLB or even two on the second day and been fine. They might even have been fine if they hadn't taken a LB at all. Add in how much the team spent on Curry - $34 million guaranteed - and this has the makings of another Tim Ruskell Cluster-Hutch. To justify that amount of money, a player had better be an immediate star, and Curry clearly is not. He may be a good player someday, but by this point Demarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman were already showing signs of greatness, and Curry isn't even the best LB on the team yet.
And lets’ say just for laughs that Curry actually becomes as good a player as Ware is right now. How many wins will that actually translate to over the years? Who has more to do with affecting the outcome of an NFL game, the Pro Bowl quarterback or the Pro Bowl linebacker? Ask any GM in the league (except Tim Ruskell) which they’d rather have in 2 years time and which one would help their team win more games over that period.

Never mind, I already know the answer to that one…

Third, there is Mark Sanchez himself. He has all the physical tools, makes all the throws, and would be a perfect fit for this offense. Yes he did only have 16 college starts, but he had them for a program that is in essence an NFL program. My best friend is a good friend of Pete Carroll, and I have watched USC practice on several occasions and had a chance to talk to him about Sanchez before the draft. Not only did he rave about Sanchez’ skills, smarts and leadership, he gave him an unqualified endorsement as a person and as a competitor. You are seeing all of that come together now in New York and sadly, not in Seattle. Last weekend in the 4th quarter, it was not Tom Brady who took over the game and led his team to victory, it was Mark Sanchez. And please spare me the “running game” argument. He made some huge throws on 3rd downs to lead his team to victory. The bottom line is that Sanchez has everything you want in a young QB physically and all the intangibles to be one of the greats. And there were lots of people who saw that before the draft.
Just not Tim Ruskell.

Fourth, whether Matt Hasselbeck starts 14 games this year (as you hope) or less than 10 (as I predict), the Seahawks will soon have to face the reality that they need a new QB. Unfortunately, they will be picking from among guys like Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow, and they do not hold a candle to Sanchez. The gap will only become more obvious as time goes by. On top of that, the simple reality is that it will always cost you more (in terms of bonus money and draft picks) to fill a need next year than it does this year. No matter where the Seahawks end up picking, let’s say the 15th pick, it will cost them a ton of picks to go up and get a guy who will not even be as good a prospect as Sanchez was this year. Add to that the fact that every team will know the Seahawks are desperate for a QB, and the price will become astronomical. Had they simply taken the guy who was right in front of them this year, they would have no such worries. The best time to draft a young QB is when you don’t “need” one. Ask the Packers.

As to your point that drafting Sanchez would have somehow undermined Hasselbeck in the eyes of the team, my response is… so what? The players don’t run the team, they are the employees, period. I think, sadly, that you are suffering from the same delusion many Seahawks fans are suffering from; namely that this is a “playoff caliber” team. The fact is they were nowhere close to that last year, injuries aside. They haven’t added a real star to the roster since Lofa Tatupu in 2005. They don’t have a star runner, and their best offensive player is a tight end. Most of Ruskell’s first round picks have played like 3rd rounders at best. Their offensive foundation is crumbling, starting with Hasselbeck’s back and Jones’ knee. And they won four games last year. So how exactly would blowing up the roster and starting over with younger, better players have been a “disaster?” Would it have been a bigger disaster than the season I predict we’re about to endure? No. And the only difference would be that the Seahawks would be one year into rebuilding with some potential young stars on the roster. Instead, next year they’ll just be an old and desperate team with no quarterback.

Teams that get sentimental about replacing their declining veterans end up at the bottom of the heap for a long time, a future if fear will be Tim Ruskell’s legacy in Seattle. New England does things the right way. I have no doubt that if Tom Brady was 34 instead of 30 and the Patriots had the chance to take Sanchez, they would have done it and traded Brady. That’s the way you should do business, putting the good of the team above all else, sentiment or not. Both Walter Jones and Hasselbeck are near the end of the road, and the Seahawks could and should have drafted their replacements this year. It’s as simple as that.

So given all my criticism, what would I have done on draft day had I been the GM? Taken Sanchez, obviously, as I said at the time. I don’t agree the team needed an OLB but if the coaches did I would have taken Rey Maulauga at #37. I would still have made the trades for Max Unger and Deon Butler – 2 guys I loved at the time, BTW. And if I could have gotten Minnesota’s 2nd rounder for Hasselbeck I would have done that deal in a flash and taken Phil Loadholt or William Beatty at #54. My preference would have been Beatty, because he’s more athletic and a good fit for the new zone blocking scheme. I would have signed Rex Grossman to come in and compete with Wallace until Sanchez was ready to start, which would have been this year, not 2 years from now. This would have allowed me to move Wallace to KR\WR\Wildcat\Slash and actually get some use out of him instead of pretending he’s ever going to be a real NFL QB.

So far from your assessment that drafting Sanchez over Curry would have been a “disaster” for the Seahawks, the reality is it would have been the right – and smart – thing to do, and it would have opened up a whole series of other moves that would strengthen the team for the long haul. Your whole premise is based on the idea (or, as I said, delusion) that the Seahawks were serious contenders coming into this season. Because they fooled themselves into believing that, I expect it will now take 2-3 years longer than it would have to get back into contention.

Mark my words; the Seahawks, and their fans, will rightfully rue the day they passed on Mark Sanchez to take an above average outside linebacker.

If Aaron Curry even gets to that level.

Mike Bara

Mock Draft 3.0

2009-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know it, the day I post mock 2.0 the Broncos trade Jay Cutler to the Bears and mess the whole thing up. Fortunately, ESPN now has a cool new tool called the Mock Machine, which lets you quickly and easily drag and drop players into slots and create a 1 round mock. It's super cool. I only wish you could embed it into your blog. Oh well.

You can also have it compare your results to Mel Kiper and ESPN Sportsnation results if you want.

There are some interesting changes in SHBMD 3.0 that have more to do with players rising and falling than so much with the Cutler trade.

No question, the dominant positions are OT, DE\LB and WR. Unlike last year, when no receiver was taken until the 2nd round, I believe that as many as 7 may go in round 1 this year, led by Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin, who could both be top 10 picks. By contrast, I only see 3 corners and 2 RB’s making the first round.

I believe at this point the Lions will take Matthew Stafford over Jason Smith, simply because they can get a good tackle at #20. The Rams, assuming they’re stuck at #2, will probably take Smith and I have Wake Forrest LB Aaron Curry going to the Chiefs at #3. After that the Seahawks take Mark Sanchez at #4, a pick for which they will be highly criticized but which should pay off in the end. Crabtree is tempting but QB is a far more important position. The Browns start off the next 4 picks with Texas DE Brian Orakpo, an excellent fit for defensive minded head coach Eric Mangini. Don’t rule out a trade with the Broncos or Jets later on for Brady Quinn though if there is another player that Mangini likes at either #12, #17 or #18. It would be interesting to see Mangini snub the Jets and send Quinn to Broncos at #18 just after the Jets are forced to take Josh Freeman.

Next, I see the Bengals taking Eugene Monroe and the Faiders taking Crabtree, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see Crabtree end up with the Bengals and Chad Ocho-cinco go to the Faiders for a 2nd round pick. The Jags were probably hoping for Sanchez but settle for Maclin, who hopefully can make some plays for them.

The next 4 picks are pretty easy to suss out. The Packers will be tempted by Andre Smith but they need DT BJ Rajii more, the 49’ers will say thank you very much and take Smith, and the productive Aaron Maybin will go to the Bills to reunite with his old college teammate Paul Polsluzny. The Broncos will pass on Josh Freeman in order to show support for Kyle Orton and to rebuild the defense. DT Peria Jerry is a mild surprise but run stuffing DT’s are hard to come by.

At #13, the Redskins need a DE and Everette Brown fills the need nicely. I think they’ll seriously consider Michael Oher as a RT with the potential to replace Chris Samuels on the left side eventually, but they spent a ton of picks on the offense last year. Next, the Saints pass on the RB’s to take USC OLB Brian Cushing, a multi-talented player who will help\replace Jonathon Vilma, who may have some legal troubles. The Texans, who need a corner and a safety, get a bit of both in the sliding Malcolm Jenkins. He can help right away at either spot. The Chargers gladly snag Rey Malauga and hope he’s half the player Junior Seau was.

At #17, the Jets are forced to reach on Josh Freeman to fill their QB need and the Broncos snap up Clay Matthews to play behind Jerry in the rebuilt defense. The Bucs are looking for a WR at #19 but they need front 7 help more, and the sizable Tyson Jackson can fill in a couple spots, depending on needs. The Lions are happy to get Oher, meaning that they have their QBOTF and LT of the now all sorted out.

The Eagles would have loved Oher at #21 but they quickly take Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells, the first RB off the board and a guy who can take some of the load off Brian Westbrook. The Vikings start creating scarcity in the teams below them by snapping up speedy WR Percy Harvin. The Patriots have had their eye on CB Darius Butler for a while now, and they happily snap him up. The Falcons close out this group of 4 by pulling the biggest surprise of the 1st round, Cincinnati’s athletic Conner Barwin to plug a hole at LB. They’ll take more than one LB in this draft.

Now the panic run on WR’s officially begins, with the Dolphins, Ravens, Colts and Eagles grabbing all of the remaining top 50 level talents off the board in quick succession, leaving the Giants and Titans with nothing to choose from.

The Giants rebound by filling their #2 need with LB James Laurenitis, and the Titans surprise a lot of people by grabbing Utah’s big CB Sean Smith. The Cardinals happily take Knowshon Moreno to fill the workhorse RB role, and the Steelers finish off the first round by taking G\C Alex Mack of California. Interesting stuff.

Mock Draft - 2.0

2009-03-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Seahawks could be players in a Michael Crabtree sweepstakes

As we head into April, very few things are getting any clearer, except that it is almost certainly down to Jason Smith and Matthew Stafford at #1 for the Lions. Time to try mock 2.0.

1. Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford – QB – Georgia - Lions would like to take Smith but Stafford is worthy of the #1 pick and there won't be a decent QB at #20. The Lions can get a good OT at that spot.

2. St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith – OT – Baylor - Rams will look long and hard at Curry, but left tackles are a building block position and Alex Baron won't cut it there.

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Aaron Curry – ILB – Wake Forest - Crabtree will undoubtedly tempt them but Curry is a big play guy who can play anywhere on the second line of defense. Could be the next Ray Lewis. Will probably try to trade down from this spot but good luck.

4. Seattle Seahawks – Michael Crabtree – WR – Texas Tech – They really should take the QB of the Future in Mark Sanchez but they will probably go with Crabtree and see if they can get the Faiders or Jags to cough up some picks to move up for him. They could trade down to either spot and still probably net Sanchez. Depending on what the Broncos do with Jay Cutler, they could also be players to move into this spot, along with the Eagles and even the Lions. (See our previous post).

5. Cleveland Browns - Brian Orakpo – DE – Texas – Browns were miserable at rushing the passer last year and defensive minded coach Eric Mangini will love what Orakpo brings to the chase. He is big, fast and heavier than most of the DE's in this draft and his workout numbers push him to this spot.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Eugene Monroe – OT – Virginia – Bengals will face a tough choice here between Monroe and BJ Raji. They could use help on both lines but Monroe would really solidify their pass protection problems, and they can get a decent DT early in the 2nd round.

7. Oakland Faiders - Jeremy Maclin – WR – Missouri – Count Chocula always tries to make a splash with his 1st round pick, and Maclin could help make the inaccurate JaMarcus Russell look better by breaking some long runs after the catch. Assuming of course that the ball is anywhere near him.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Mark Sanchez – QB – USC – Jags need OL help more, but Andre Smith is more likely a RT and Jags need a LT. Sanchez will be an organizational pick, not a Jack Del Rio pick. It's about time the Jags re-invested in a top talent at the QB position. Or they could just bring Byron Leftwich back.

9. Green Bay Packers - B.J. Raji – DT – Boston College – The Packers need to shore up the defense and Raji will replace and upgrade the position after the loss of Colin Cole, who signed with the Seahawks. Will be a nice fit for their new 3-4 defensive scheme at nose tackle.

10. San Francisco 49’ers – Andre Smith – OT – Alabama – The 49’ers need a pass rushing end or rush LB, and there are several players available with this pick that fit the bill. But, they were horrendous at RT last year and Smith projects at that position in the NFL. He's also a proper value at the #10 pick.

All he needs to do now to be a great player is to learn to say two words: "I'm full."

11. Buffalo Bills – Everette Brown – DE – Florida State – The Bills need LB’s and DE’s, and Brown is the best pass rusher at this point in the draft.

12. Denver Broncos – Robert Ayres - DE - Tennesse – Depending on how the Jay Cutler situation shakes out, the Broncos may not even be in this pick, but as of now, they are and they still need to fix the defense. Ayres is shooting up draft boards right and could even make a late run into the top 10. He'll be a nice fit as a pass rusher in the Broncos new 3-4 defensive scheme.

13. Washington Redskins - Tyson Jackson – DE\OLB – LSU - Jackson is big and strong and can even swing inside some to 3-technique tackle. After spending so many picks last year on offense to help out the mediocre Jason Campbell, they need to emphasize the defense this time out.

14. New Orleans Saints - Rey Maualuga – ILB – USC – The Saints need to add some talent around LB Jonathon Vilma, and maybe even replace him if his legal troubles mount. A lot of mocks have Beanie Wells going here, but RB can be addressed in the 2nd or 3rd round.

15. Houston Texans - Brian Cushing – OLB – USC – Texans need some rush help for Mario Williams and somebody to stand up and help Demeco Ryans. Cushing’s great versatility gives them both.

16. San Diego Chargers -Aaron Maybin – DE\LB – Penn State - Maybin is a hybrid DE\OLB type who is athletic enough to make an impact outside. Chargers probably wanted an ILB but Maybin is a very productive player who will help fill the Shawne Merriman void if he leaves via free agency.

17. New York Jets - Josh Freeman - QB – Kansas State - Unless they come up with Jay Cutler somehow, Jets will forced to take a flyer on Freeman as their QB situation is dire.

18. Chicago Bears - Peria Jerry – DT – Mississippi - Bears will probably be sorely tempted by Jerry's Missisippi teammate Oher, but they signed Kevin Schaffer and spending a 1st round pick on the same position 2 years in a row makes fans think you are clueless, and Bears GM Jerry Angelo can't afford that right now. Jerry's presence may awaken slumbering giant Tommie Harris along the Bears DL.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Darrius Heyward-Bey – WR – Maryland - After gutting their roster in the offseason the Bucs could go in a number of directions. Adding a big reciver to replace Joey Galloway is the best fit for this pick.

20. Detroit Lions -Michael Oher – OT – Mississippi – Oher's slide finally stops and the Lions get a tackle who may be as talented as Smith and Monroe at #20. Somehow, the Lions managed to play this draft just right.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Percy Harvin – WR – Florida – Eagles need more weapons for Donovan McNabb, and Harvin gives him a legit target opposite DeSean Jackson.

22. Minnesota Vikings - Kenny Britt - WR - Rutgers – The run on WR's begins. The Vikings made a strong play for TJ Houshmanzadeh, and Britt is a young T-Ho in the making.

23. New England Patriots - Malcolm Jenkins – CB – Ohio State – Pats need LB's but with Jenkins falling to them they pull the trigger. There are some pretty good LB prospects in the 2nd round and Pats have 3 picks in that round. Smart, instinctive player who will help the Pats in the defensive backfield for years.

24. Atlanta Falcons - Clay Matthews - OLB - USC – Falcons lost 2 LB's in the offseason in Keith Brooking and Michael Boley. Matthews is a strong replacement.

25. Miami Dolphins - Brian Robiskie - WR - Ohio State – What a difference a year makes. Instead of picking 1st overall the they are at the bottom of round one. Robiskie gives the ‘Phins the same threat on the outside that Chris Chambers used to.

26. Baltimore Ravens - Darius Butler – CB – Connecticut – Ravens need to get younger all over their defense. Butler jumps ahead of Vontae Davis, who is more athletic but has too many character and consistency concerns.

27. Indianapolis Colts - Evander Hood – DT – Missouri – Colts need DT’s badly, and with Robiskie and most of the 1st round WR's gone, Hood is a solid player to get here.

28. Philadelphia Eagles -Knowshon Moreno – RB – Georgia – Eagles will be sorely tempted by one of the remaining tackles here, but a back-up\starter to replace Brian Westbrook is a must and Moreno can do it all; run, block and catch.

29. New York Giants - Hakeem Nicks – WR – North Carolina – Giants desperately need a big WR who can create space for their running game. Especially one who won't shoot himself in the foot. Literally.

30. Tennessee Titans – Alex Mack – C – Cal - Signing Kelly Washington and Javon Haye makes this a luxury pick for the Titans. Mack can start if Kevin Mawae is done and play G if he’s not. Would have probably been happy with one of the wideouts here but none merit this pick.

31. Arizona Cardinals – Chris Wells – RB Ohio State - Great passing game masked a myriad of sins for the Cards during their Super Bowl run. Adding to the defense would seem to be the top priority but Wells is just too good a value at this point and fills a need.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers - Eben Britton– OT – Arizona– Steelers need to get help everywhere on the OL.

Seahawks Mock Picks in Other Rounds

2 – 37 - William Beatty – OT – Connecticut – Seahawks could use a big, athletic tackle like Beatty to replace Walter Jones in a year or two.
3 – 68 - Michael Hamlin – SS – Clemson – Seahawks need a big DB to solidify the secondary.
4 – 101 - Patrick Turner – WR – USC – Despite signing T-Ho, the Seahawks could use a set of young, fresh legs to catch passes. Turner is a huge (6’5”) fast (4.65) receiver who will have to make his name on special teams to start with. Just too much upside to pass up with a pick this late.
5 – 137 - Kyle Moore - DE - USC - Seahawks continue their USC centric drafting ways. Will take the spot held by one year rental Cory Redding in 2010. Say goodbye to Baraka Atkins.
6 – 178 - John Phillips - TE - Virginia – Seahawks need a back-up TE who can run and catch.
7 – 213 - Cory Smith - OLB - Cinncinati - An athletic guy who can compete to replace Julian Peterson and play special teams.
7 - 245 - Devin Moore - RB - Wyoming - Small, quick scatback (4.36) who can potentially provide a change-up from the lumbering TJ Duckett.
7 - 247 - Dallas Reynolds - C - BYU - Let's face it, Chris Spencer hasn't done much.
7 - 248 - Ryan McKee - OT - Southern Mississippi - "Timmay!" likes his late round OL's.

MB - 4/2/2009

Are the Seahawks Looking to Trade Down?

2009-03-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Lots of teams covet Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree

As the first 3 picks of the 2009 NFL Draft begin to solidify, it’s looking increasingly like the Seahawks may have a choice between Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree, Georgia QB Matthew Stafford, or Wake Forrest OLB Aaron Curry. While each would make sense for the Seahawks, none would likely be the immediate first-year impact player the team needs to help them this year.

As I see it, there are 6 players who might be a fit for the Seahawks at the #4 spot:

1. Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree
2. Baylor OT Jason Smith
3. Wake Forest OLB Aaron Curry
4. Georgia QB Matthew Stafford
5. Virginia OT Eugene Monroe
6. USC QB Mark Sanchez

As the draft approaches, I’m warming to Crabtree, who is more and more often gaining the praise of scouts as a sure fire impact player along the lines of Houston’s Andre Johnson or Detroit’s Calvin Johnson. The Seahawks could certainly use a player like that on the offensive side of the ball. The truth is, the Seahawks have a lot of average players, but few special ones. Crabtree has the chance to be special.

That said, a QB of the future like Mark Sanchez or Matthew Stafford makes a lot of sense also, since Matt Hasselbeck is undeniably on the downside of his career and there isn’t any player on the roster who can step in for him effectively. However, I get the sense the Seahawks (read GM Tim “Timmay!” Ruskell) don’t want to go this direction, since as I stated, it makes too much sense.

Curry would also make a difference for the Seahawks, adding back a dynamic, athletic pass rusher from the second line of defense to replace the departed Julian Peterson. But again, I don’t sense that this is a priority for the team, since once again they’d have a significant chunk of the team’s cap space invested in the LB position, a problem they just gained some relief from by dumping Petersen’s contract. It might also blunt the further development of Leroy Hill and David Hawthorne, two young players the team would like to see get more opportunities in the new defensive scheme.

The other possibilities are that one of the top left tackles like Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith drops to the Seahawks. Either could solidify an aging and under-talented OL unit. But with Walter Jones still occupying the LT spot, where would they play?

So against this backdrop of “yeah, maybe” players that might fit for the Seahawks, the rumor persist that maybe somebody wants to trade into the top end of the draft to grab Stafford or Crabtree, or one of the 2 elite tackles. Could the Seahawks be a trading partner?

The short answer is yes. Trading down would give the Seahawks additional opportunities to turn over the personnel of a 4-12 team with no true superstars on its roster. The problem with this scenario is the proverbial one; who do you trade with? Who has enough juice to come get the 4th pick in the draft and the crying need for a player like Crabtree or Monroe? The answer to that one is -- only 1 team;

The Philadelphia Eagles.

We’ve all heard the rumors that the Eagles are interested in trading up into the top of the draft to get an impact player to satisfy franchise QB Donovan McNabb. Someone like Crabtree would certainly fit that description. Assuming this is true, their most logical trading partner would seem to be the Seahawks. Kansas City may be looking to trade out as well, but the price in terms of draft picks and bonus money would be quite a bit higher (the #3 pick is worth 400 more points, the equivalent of a second round pick, and the difference in guaranteed bonus money between the #4 and #3 picks last year was a whopping $8.75 million).

Using the standard draft pick trade value charts, the Seahawks pick at #4 in round 1 is theoretically worth 1,800 points. Assuming both teams wanted to do a deal, the Eagles would have to cough up both of their firsts (#21 and #28), their second round pick (#53) and their 4th round pick (#121). This would leave the Seahawks with a 30 point deficit, which they could make up by swapping their 4th round pick (#105) back to the Eagles. This equalizes the trade value at 1,880 points or so. Here’s the breakdown:

Seahawks get #21 (800 pts.) + #28 (660 pts.) + #53 (370 pts.) + #121 (52 pts.) = 1,882 pts.

Eagles get #4 (1,800 pts.) + #105 (84 pts.) = 1,884 pts.

This seems like a very doable deal from the Eagles perspective. They get the impact offensive weapon they want in Crabtree and still have a 3rd round pick (#85) on the first day, plus all their second day picks and they have moved up 16 spots in the 4th round. For the Seahawks however, it may create more issues than it alleviates.

The problem as I see is that this deal leaves the Seahawks with 12 draft picks, (#21 and #28 in the first round, #37 and #53 in the 2nd, #68 in round 3, #121 in round 4, #137 in round 5, #178 in round 6 and #’s 213, 245, 247 and 248 in round 7. Although it’s always a good idea to turn over the roster on a 4-12 team, I just can’t see 12 rookies making the team next year. Still, it’s a tempting haul. Instead of facing a tough decision on a single player who will cost a fortune in guaranteed money (last years #4 overall pick, Raiders RB Darren McFadden, got $26 million in guarantees), the Seahawks can drop down and pick up 3 first day players for far less guaranteed money. (The 21st overall pick in last years draft, USC OT Sam Baker, got $8 million in guaranteed money, the #28 pick, the Seahawks Lawrence Jackson, got $6.1 million guaranteed, and the #53 pick, Pittsburgh WR Limas Sweed, got $1.62 million in guarantees, bring the total to only $15.72 million in guaranteed money).

However, if there were players the Seahawks were targeting in rounds 2 and 3, they could easily part with some of their second day picks to move up in each round and grab specific players that intrigued them. Or they could try and move down or out by moving some of their second day picks into next year. The 5th round pick they got in the Cory Redding deal might for instance net them a 4th rounder next year if they chose to trade it.

This could also be a factor in making a deal with the only other team that holds 2 first round picks, the Detroit Lions. The teams have already good lines of communication going after the Petersen for Redding trade, and trying to trade with Seahawks might make a lot of sense for the Lions. In addition to the #1 overall pick, the Lions hold the #20 pick from the Roy Williams trade. The Lions seem to be leaning toward a player with a low risk factor and signability with the #1 overall pick, and that would seem to translate more to one of the tackles, like Jason Smith than it does to one of the QB’s, like Stafford. If the Lions wanted the #4 pick in addition to the #1 pick, would it be worth for them to do so, and would it be possible?

Again, the answer seems to be yes.

The #20 overall pick is, according to the trade charts, worth 850 points, leaving the Lions about 950 points from moving up to #4. Their first pick in the second round, #33 overall, is worth 580 points, dropping the deficit to 370 points, the equivalent of a late second round pick. But what if the Lions wanted to keep their 2nd and 3rd round picks this year, and instead chose to offer their 1st round pick next year? Most likely, it would be a top ten pick, valued at 1,300 points minimum, which would mean that a package of #20 this year and #10 next year (theoretically) could come to a value of 2150 points, leaving the Seahawks in a 350 point deficit. The Seahawks could toss in a token pick in next year’s draft, say their 4th rounder, to make the deal look better.

Okay, why would the Lions do this? Well, their new management team has expressed the belief that they must build in the trenches first, but has also said they need a QB of the future to build around. By taking Smith 1st overall and Stafford 4th, they save a ton of money and get both their franchise left tackle and their QB of the future. They also don’t have to spend even more in guarantees next year, and they get their QB of the future a year early. This also gives them a chance to bring Stafford along slowly, rather than rushing him into action. The Seahawks get to move down into the bottom third of the 1st round, saving them a ton of cash and they don’t have to add a bunch of players who probably won’t even make the roster. Next year, they have 2 first round picks to play with, one of which might even be a top 10 selection. Also, the Lions could toss in 2007 2nd round pick QB Drew Stanton in return for a higher pick from the Seahawks next year, say their 3rd rounder.

Granted, this trade has only a long shot chance of coming off, since with the CBA in limbo nobody even knows for certain there will be a draft next year, but it is plausible. However, the Eagles deal seems much more likely.

The bottom line is if the Seahawks want to trade down, there are a couple of possibilities, beyond the idea of moving down a few spots. There are rumors that the Jags and Raiders both covet Crabtree, and trading down to either the 7th or 8th pick in the first round would net them a 3rd and 4th at least, and maybe a 2nd from either team (although they’d probably have to swap back a second day pick in either case).

And just in case you don’t think this is very realistic, you may have noticed that the Seahawks brought in a number of players this week that are expected to go in the mid-to-late 1st round area, about where they’d be picking if they did the deal with the Eagles.

So things could get pretty interesting on draft day. We’ll see.

Posted by Mike Bara 3\30\2009

Obama to Redistribute Steelers Super Bowl Trophies

2009-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry, got this in the mail & thought it was hysterical.

Seahawk Boys Post Combine Mock Draft

2009-03-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

USC QB Mark Sanchez - The Seahawks pick at #4?

1. Detroit Lions - Matt Stafford – QB – Georgia - Lions must start over completely. Stafford is the first building block.

2. St. Louis Rams - Aaron Curry – ILB – Wake Forest - Rams need a tackle too but Curry is the consensus #1 at this point and Spagnulo is a defensive minded coach. Could be the next Ray Lewis.

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Michael Crabtree – WR – Texas Tech - With Matt Cassel in the fold and Curry off the board the Chiefs will resist the temptation to go with the safe pick and roll the dice on Crabtree. Adding him to a skill set that includes Dwayne Bowe, Larry Johnson, Cassel and Tony Gonzalez might mean the playoffs for the long suffering Chiefs.

4. Seattle Seahawks – Mark Sanchez – QB – USC – The Seahawks are stuck in no man’s land with this pick. None of the guys who merit being taken this pick would help the Seahawks all that much this year, so if they have to reach they may as well go for the franchise QB. Risk-averse GM Tim “Timmay!” Ruskell will likely go with a safe pick instead (i.e. one of the offensive tackles), but they must not delude themselves. Injuries on the OL and at wide receiver masked the fact that QB Matt Hasselbeck’s play was deteriorating even before the chronic bulging disk in his back forced him to miss nine games. Sanchez is a smart, cerebral player who understands defenses and has all the physical tools to excel at QB in the NFL. The Seahawks can afford to let him sit and learn the pro game behind Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace for a year or two, and it is a rare thing to get a chance to take a QB with Sanchez’ talents while you’ve still got a serviceable starter. The only real downside is a bad haircut.

5. Cleveland Browns - Everette Brown – DE – Florida State – Browns were miserable at rushing the passer last year and defensive minded coach Eric Mangini will love what Brown brings to the chase. Brown is big, fast and cut, much in the mold of Jevon Kearse.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Jason Smith – OT – Baylor – Bengals will face a tough choice here between Smith and BJ Raji. They could use help on both lines but Smith would really solidify their pass protection problems.

7. Oakland Faiders - Jeremy Maclin – WR – Missouri – Count Chocula always tries to make a splash with his 1st round pick, and Maclin could help make the inaccurate JaMarcus Russell look better by breaking some long runs after the catch. Assuming of course that the ball is anywhere near him.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Eugene Monroe – OT – Virginia – Jags need interior OL help more, but no OG is worth this pick and with the team likely losing LT Khalif Barnes in free agency, this pick is obvious. Monroe is a prototype LT and could stabilize the line immediately.

9. Green Bay Packers - B.J. Raji – DT – Boston College – The Packers need to shore up the defense and Raji will replace and upgrade the position after the loss of Colin Cole, who signed with the Seahawks.

10. San Francisco 49’ers – Brian Orakpo – DE – Texas – The 49’ers need a pass rushing end or rush LB, and Orakpo can do the job. At 263, he’s bigger than most of the rush ends in the draft and will also be solid against the run.

11. Buffalo Bills – Tyson Jackson – DE\OLB – LSU – The Bills need LB’s and DE’s, and Jackson is big and strong and can even swing inside some to 3-technique tackle.

12. Denver Broncos – Rey Maualuga – ILB – USC – After spending the free agency period on the offense, it’s time to fix the defense. The Broncos need to get stronger in the middle and Peria Jerry would fit here too, but the franchise Mike is harder to find.

13. Washington Redskins - Michael Oher – OT – Mississippi – Oher’s slide finally stops. The Redskins get a bargain and can play Oher at RT or LG for a year or so until Chris Samuels moves on.

14. New Orleans Saints - Aaron Maybin – DE\LB – Penn State – The Saints need to add some talent around MLB Jonathon Vilma, and Maybin is a hybrid DE\OLB type who is athletic enough to make an impact outside.

15. Houston Texans - Brian Cushing – OLB – USC – Texans need some rush help for Mario Williams and somebody to stand up and help Demeco Ryans. Cushing’s great versatility gives them both.

16. San Diego Chargers - Knowshon Moreno – RB – Georgia – With the franchise tag on Darren Sproles and a contract dispute with LT, maybe the best thing is just for the Chargers to draft Moreno and move on.

17. New York Jets - James Laurinaitis – ILB – Ohio State – Jets obviously need a QB but there is no value here. Laurinaitis gives them a solid inside presence to help David Harris. Now if only Vernon Gholston could get on the field.

18. Chicago Bears - Andre Smith – OT – Alabama - After last years disaster with 1st round pick Chris Williams, Smith seems like a risk but he could either play LT in John Tait’s stead of even move inside to OG.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois - After gutting their roster in the offseason the Bucs could go in a number of directions, but since they are scraping the Tampa-2 they need to get more athletic on defense and Davis is a terrific athlete.

20. Detroit Lions - Clay Matthews – OLB – USC – Lions obviously need help everywhere, but Matthews fills a need next to WLB Ernie Sims.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Darrius Heyward-Bey – WR – Maryland – Eagles need more weapons for Donovan McNabb, and DHB gives him a big target opposite DeSean Jackson.

22. Minnesota Vikings - Peria Jerry – DT – Mississippi – Jerry just gives the Vikings more of what they already have, but Pat Williams isn’t getting any younger and Jerry is the best player left on the board.

23. New England Patriots - Malcolm Jenkins – CB – Ohio State – Smart, instinctive player who will help the Pats in the defensive backfield for years.

24. Atlanta Falcons - Michael Johnson – DE – Georgia Tech – Gives the Falcons a better pass rush.

25. Miami Dolphins - Percy Harvin – WR – Florida – What a difference a year makes. Instead of picking 1st overall the they are at the bottom of round one. Harvin gives the ‘Phins the same threat on the outside that Chris Chambers used to.

26. Baltimore Ravens - Darius Butler – CB – Connecticut – Ravens need to get younger all over their defense.

27. Indianapolis Colts - Evander Hood – DT – Missouri – Colts need DT’s badly.

28. Philadelphia Eagles - Brandon Pettigrew – TE - Oklahoma State – Eagles are giving up on L.J. Smith and Brent Celek isn’t the answer. Spending 2 1st rounders on skill positions will make McNabb happy for a change.

29. New York Giants - Hakeem Nicks – WR – North Carolina – Giants desperately need a big WR who can create space for their running game. At least one who won't shoot himself in the foot.

Literally.

30. Tennessee Titans – Alex Mack – C – Cal - Signing Kelly Washington and Javon Haye makes this a luxury pick for the Titans. Mack can start if Kevin Mawae is done and play G if he’s not.

31. Arizona Cardinals – Chris Wells – RB Ohio State - Great passing game masked a myriad of sins for the Cards during their Super Bowl run. Adding to the defense would seem to be the top priority but Wells is just too good a value at this point and fills a need.

32. Pittsburgh Stealers - Eben Britton– OT – Arizona– Stealers need to get help everywhere on the OL.

Seahawks Mock Picks in Other Rounds

2 – 37 - William Beatty – OT – Connecticut – Seahawks could use a big, athletic tackle like Beatty to replace Walter Jones in a year or two.

3 – 68 - Michael Hamlin – SS – Clemson – Seahawks need a big DB to solidify the secondary.

4 – 101 - Deon Butler – WR – Penn State – Despite signing T-Ho, the Seahawks could use a set of young fresh legs to catch passes. Butler is the top receiver in Nitany Lions history.

5 – No Pick

6 – 165 - Patrick Turner – WR – USC – Huge (6’5”) fast (4.65) receiver who will have to make his name on special teams to start with. Just too much upside to pass up with a pick this late.

7 – 196 - Phillip Hunt – DE – Houston – Pass rushing specialist who could give the Seahawks some edge pressure if he can adapt to the pro game.

MB - 3/7/2009

Which Free Agents Should the Seahawks Try to Keep?

2009-02-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

Seahawks DT Rocky Bernard - A Player They Should be Keeping

With free agency looming later this week, SHB takes a long hard look at the Seahawks free agents and makes a call on which ones the team should be looking to re-sign. The fact is, no one is irreplaceable on a 4-12 team, but there are a few guys who might be part of the rebuilding solution.

RESTRICTED:

LB Lance Laury – Sign him. He comes cheap and is a decent special teamer.

UNRESTRICTED:

DT Rocky Bernard – Sign him. Bernard is out of position at DT. He’d be a perfect 2-down DE against the run and could swing inside on passing downs. The team will make little effort to sign him though and Bernard is a perfect 3-4 DE. He’s gone but he shouldn’t be.

WR Bobby Engram – Sign him. The team needs bodies at the WR spot and Engram has been a real soldier for the cause.

WR Koren Robinson – Sign him. Again, he’ll come cheap and he deserves at least an invite to camp after contributing last year. He’s an excellent blocker in the run game.

LB Leroy Hill – Hill is already franchised at $8.3 million for this year. He’s not worth that, especially after being arrested for DUI a few weeks ago, but his loss would have left a gaping roster hole on a team with too many holes already. He’s not really worth more than $4.5 million a year in the current market, but why would he sign for that average unless he gets a lot more guaranteed on a long term deal? With one strike already in the NFL’s conduct policy, he’s not worth $12-$14 million guaranteed. Odds are this is a one year rental.

QB Charlie Frye – Let him go. The Seahawks are better off finding a younger guy with more upside.

DT Howard Green – Let him go. Green had a good camp but a non-descript season. Guys like him are a dime a dozen in the NFL.

TE Will Heller – See above. Find a younger player with more upside as a receiver.

LB D.D. Lewis – Sign him. Lewis is good spot fill-in and special teamer.

LB Wesly Mallard – Let him go. Find a younger LB to take the roster spot.

RB Maurice Morris – Dump him. He doesn’t do anything Julius Jones doesn’t do and he’s never been worth the roster spot he takes up. Give Justin Forsett or a rookie a shot.

RB Leonard Weaver – Sign him, but don’t break the bank. A better runner than blocker, Weaver should be getting the carries that TJ Duckett is hogging. Weaver is more versatile.

OL Steve McKinney – Let him go.

OL Ray Willis – Sign him. Willis has potential as the starting RT.

OL Floyd Womack – Sign him. He’ll be cheap and he stayed healthy for once, and the Seahawks need all the bodies on the OL they can get.

MB - 2/24/2009

Seahawks Free Agency Preview Part 1 – Quarterbacks

2009-02-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

Overview – The Seahawks situation at QB appears to be dire. Their best player, veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck, is coming off an injury plagued season in which he missed 9 games with a bulging disk in his back. Even if Hasselbeck can return to health, his play dropped off dramatically last year and he’s learning a new offensive system which may or may not suit his diminishing skills. Hasselbeck was the NFL’s lowest rated starter last year with a dismal 57.8 QB rating and he threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. The Seahawks seem to blame most of his drop off on the massive injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but many of Hasselbeck’s bad throws were unforced (see the game losing INT in the Washington game). The facts are that the Seahawks are banking on a 34 year old QB with a bulging disk in his back to return to form. Logic says that this is unlikely.

Back-up Seneca Wallace has proven that he’s a decent stop-gap, but he will never be a starting caliber player at the QB position. His value could actually increase next year if the new offensive system incorporates some of the Wildcat formations that have become so popular of late in the NFL. Wallace could be a true triple threat in the Wildcat, running, throwing or catching the ball. It seems obvious that the team has given up on Charlie Frye as the QB of the future.

We here at SHB argue that since the QB position is the most important on the field, the Seahawks should cut their losses with Hasselbeck, gain the $6 million dollars in cap space that trading or releasing him would provide, and move on. There are a ton of good options out there, including spending the #4 pick on USC’s Mark Sanchez or Georgia’s Matt Stafford. In reality however, GM Tim “Timmay!” Ruskell appears to be delusional, and it looks like the Seahawks won’t be spending the #4 pick on a franchise QB. With that in mind, let’s look at what other options might be out there in free agency.

Option #1 – Trade for Matt Cassel – Cassel has the franchise tag, so signing him is not an option. However, a trade for Cassel makes a lot of sense. He’s already proven that he can play at a high if not elite level and he makes all of the throws with ease. Cassel is a smart solid and productive QB, and trading for him would secure the Seahawks future at the position. The Seahawks would probably have to swap positions in the draft with the Patriots at the very least, and probably throw in a few more picks as well. From where we stand it’s well worth it, because with Cassel the team is getting a proven commodity that can lead them to the playoffs for years to come. However, it’s the smart move, so “Timmay!” won’t make it.

Option #2 – Sign a veteran FA QB – There are some intriguing names on the unrestricted free agency list this year, including Rex Grossman, Kyle Boller of the Ravens and J.P. Losman of the Bills. We like Grossman the best of the bunch, mostly because he has the requisite physical skills and throws a much more accurate deep ball than Hasselbeck. The knock on Grossman is his decision making, but the truth is he’s never really been coached up properly in Chicago or had the support of the staff there. A lot of his interceptions came from receivers running the wrong routes or not fighting for the ball in tight places or Grossman trying to make a play under pressure instead of dumping the ball. These things can be coached and having led a team to the Super Bowl in 2006, Wrecks has the most potential as a QB of the future out of the free agent group.

Option #3 - Trade for a young veteran QB – Failing in drafting or signing a QB of the future, the Seahawks may resort to trading for a young one. Cleveland’s Derek Anderson, who’s been to the Pro Bowl, is probably available for a 2nd round pick, and a guy like Miami’s John Beck might be had for a 3rd. Beyond that, there isn’t much worth looking at in terms of veteran trades.

Outlook - We were of the opinion that the Seahawks should have traded back into the 2nd round last year to grab Chad Henne, even at the price of this years #1 pick and we stand by that position even after seeing how last year unfolded. QB is the most important position on the roster, and the Seahawks must face that reality now. With such a high pick, they have lots of options to swing a deal, and if they fail to do so they may be facing mediocrity for years to come. No one wants to repeat the Dan McGwire\Rick Mirer\John Kitna years, so they must address the situation now while they can do so from a position of relative strength.

Mike Bara 2/17/2009

Top Five Reasons the Seahawks Need to Dump Matt Hasselbeck

2009-01-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

Reason #6

When the Klingon moon Praxis blew up at the start of Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country, the Empire had a dilemma. Facing a critical energy shortage that threatened their entire race, they had to choose between an uncertain war with their old adversaries or to make peace with them.

The Seahawks today find themselves in much the same position. The main cog around which their offense has turned for the last 6 years is grinding down, and if they don’t do something drastic about it right now they may not get another chance for years. Yes, it is time for Matt Hasselbeck to go, primarily because the 2009 off-season affords a rare opportunity for the Seahawks to acquire a long term replacement.

Here are 5 reasons why the Seahawks are like the Klingon Empire, and why they must face their uncertain future now, before things deteriorate even more.

Reason #5 – His age and injuries – We all know it; Matt Hasselbeck is soon to be 34 years old and has a bulging disk in his back. This sort if injury rarely gets better with age and physical stress, and it is pretty certain he’ll continue to have problems with it in the future. Injuries have always affected Hasselbeck’s mechanics rather dramatically, and it seems likely that his condition caused a lot of his errant throws this season (5 TD’s - 10 Int’s). Hasselbeck missed 9 games this year because of the injuries and 4 in 2006 because of knee and shoulder problems. Not a good trend line for an aging guy who will be playing behind a rebuilt offensive line and isn’t that elusive to begin with.

Judgment: This is a bad sign. Move him while you can.

Reason #4 – His falling production and natural limitations – You can make all the excuses you want, injuries to the wide receivers, the O-line and even Hasselbeck himself, but the bottom line is Hasselbeck’s play declined dramatically this season. Hasselbeck has always been at his worst when he’s uncomfortable or pressing, and he can make some spectacularly bad decisions with the ball. Now, all QB’s will make mistakes under pressure to some extent, but Hasselbeck panics under pressure, and there’s a difference. And no one was pressuring him when he made a game ending INT to lose the Redskins game. The simple fact is Hasselbeck is fine as front runner, but he won’t carry your team when the chips are down, and things are likely to be down in Seattle for at least the next couple of years.

Judgment: In two years Hasselbeck will be done, if not before. Why hang on to the final few years of a declining QB when you have better options?

Reason #3 – His absurd cap number – According to ESPN’s Mike Sando, Hasselbeck's contract counts $9.45 million against the Seahawks cap in 2009 if he's on the roster. That includes $5.25 million in base salary, $3.2 million in bonus proration and $1 million in a roster bonus. Hasselbeck's contract would count only $3.2 million in dead money against the cap if the team released or traded him before the season.

Obviously, $9.45 million for the lowest rated starting QB in the NFL is absurd. Hasselbeck must either take a dramatic pay cut or he shouldn’t be surprised if he is traded or released before the roster bonus is due. Getting him off the roster clears $6.25 million in cap space that could be used to acquire a younger, more productive player.

Judgment: No Brainer. Save the cap space.

Reason #2 – The Seahawks have a unique opportunity this off-season to secure their QB of the future – It isn’t very often that a team that has made 4 consecutive playoff appearances gets a chance to draft, trade or simply sign a franchise QB, but the 2009 offseason presents exactly that opportunity. Because of the bizarre run of injuries, the Seahawks find themselves with a uniquely high pick, #4 overall. If the draft were held today, offensive tackles Michael Oher and Andre Smith and junior QB’s Matthew Stafford and Sam Bradford would probably go as the top 4. Obviously, a lot changes between January and the April draft, and the Lions and Chiefs ahead of the Seahawks would seem likely to be QB hungry, but there is a better than 50% chance that one of the rookie QB’s would be there with the 4th pick. The Seahawks are also in range to make a trade up to get the QB they covet, be it Bradford, Stafford, or even USC’s Mark Sanchez. Trading down a few spots for Sanchez could also fill the need.

But there is yet another path to the QB of the future. New England’s Matt Cassel had a spectacular first season as a starter, throwing for over 3,600 yards and 21 TD’s against only 11 interceptions. He engineered game winning drives, made a ton of great throws and showed leadership, guts and resiliency, even in the face of the tragic death of his father. Unlike the college prospects, Cassel is already proven at the NFL level, and at 26 is 8 years younger than Hasselbeck. Acquiring him could take a bit more maneuvering though.

Cassel is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent, and if he is not franchised all it will take to get him is money. The Seahawks, owned by the richest owner in the NFL, will have no problem ponying up the money. In addition, the Seahawks would seem to offer a better destination than any of the other likely bidders for his services. They have a decent running game and receivers Deon Branch and Nate Burleson returning to health, along with a high pick that can then be spent on a shiny new offensive weapon like Texas Tech’s Micheal Crabtree or a stud blind side protector like Oher.

Of course, the Patriots could conceivably franchise Cassel at $15 million for the QB tender, and he’d be nuts not to immediately sign such a tender. But here again, a combination of Cassel and the 24th pick, or Cassel and a few lower picks in exchange for the 4th overall pick could be worth it to the Patriots since they are expecting the great Tom Brady back next year.

Judgment: Any of these options are a better plan going forward than a 34-year old washed-up QB with a bad back. Plus, getting a new signal caller in might buy GM “Timmay!” Ruskell and new coach Jim Mora Jr. a couple of seasons to fix other roster problems.

And the #1 Reason the Seahawks Must Part Ways With Matt Hasselbeck – Teams that wait too long or get sentimental pay a high price – It is simply an axiom of the pro game. If you wait too long to dump your declining players, it will take a lot longer to build back up again. How many more games would the Chargers have won this year with Michael Turner instead of LaDanian Tomlinson? How much misery did the Jets, Chiefs, Dolphins and Vikings endure because they passed on the chance to sign Drew Brees in 2006? If the Seahawks don’t bite the bullet, make a clean break with the Mike Holmgren era and start fresh, they’ll likely be down 3-5 years. If they get the QB of the future now, they could be back in the playoffs in 2010, if not 2009.

It just depends on how much flack they’re willing to take for making such a bold move now.

Judgment: We love you, Matt. Come back and raise the 12th man flag someday, will ‘ya?

Posted by MB – 1/5/2009

McMullen Gone, Willis to Start for Locklear

2008-10-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

WR Billy McMullen was relased today after suffering a reported broken ankle at practice Thursday. The unbelievable string of injuries for the Seahawks on offense continues as QB Matt Hasselbeck will also miss his second straight game with a knee bruise and bulging disk in his back.

The Seahawks still have a chance to turn their season around, but it won't be easy on the road against the playoff caliber Buccaneers. Still, there's no excuse for the way the team has folded in the face of adversity, and I keep hoping they will rise up and play a good game again. We'll see.

It also looks like Ray Willis will be at RT for Sean Locklear, a move that is probably necessary as Locklear still doesn't seem completely healthy after recovering from a training camp knee injury. RT is more of a drive blocking position anyway, and that has never been Locklear's forte; he's more of an athletic pass blocker, and probably better suited to LT. The Seahawks were probably thinking along those lines when they signed him to a 5-year extension last off season. Walter Jones can't play forever. We may as well see what we've got in Willis now anyway, since his contract is up this year.

LB Will Herring has been activated from the PUP. Hopefully he can make a difference on the Seahawks pathetic special teams.

Oh, and Alyssa Milano will be at the Seahawks team shop today. Tasty.

Seahawks Should Keep Koren Robinson - For Now

2008-10-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

K-Rob in his glory days as a Seahawk

As the Seahawks prep for this week's game against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, head coach Mike Holmgren mentioned in his Wednesday press conference that the team may now have too many receivers on the active roster, and may look to make a roster move as soon as this week. Speculation immediately turned to the idea that recently returned prodigal son Koren Robinson might be on the bubble because of sore knee suffered his first day of practice with the team 2 weeks ago. Since Robinson still is not practicing full time with the team as of Thursday, cutting Robinson might seem a real possibility. However, GM Tim "Timmay!" Numbskull said in an interview on Thursday that the team knew that injury was a possibility when they signed him, because Robinson wasn't in football shape yet and that he felt they needed to make sure all the receivers they had were healthy before letting anyone go.

This is good news, since we here at SHB believe that Robinson should be given at least four weeks to get into shape and contribute. The fact is, Robinson is a Pro Bowl kick returner and better than anyone the Seahawks have at that spot, so we favor patience and giving Robinson every chance to show his form. It would be a mistake to cut Robinson before we have a chance to see what he has left in the tank.

Numbskull has done a good job keeping the roster intact and finding players off the street to fill the WR spots that have been decimated by injury. Finding Billy McMullen and Keary Colbert (who the team really likes) would be offset by a black mark if the team gives up on K-Rob too soon. Robinson certainly has the talent to contribute as a kick returner, if not at WR. A starting line-up to Robinson at SE, Branch at Flanker and Engram in the slot, backed by McMullen, Colbert and Michael Bumpus wouldn't worry me at all heading into the second half of the season. If anyone needs to get cut, it should probably be Courtney Taylor, who still has practice squad eligibility and hasn't done a thing worth noting.

Let's hope the Seahawks give Robinson a chance to redeem himself. He must know this is his last chance.

BTW, according to the media, the outcome of this week's Seahawks-Giants game is foregone conclusion. We'll see. I've got a good feeling about this one, in spite of the fact it's on the East Coast at 10 in the morning.

-- MB

Seahawks Game #3 Seahawks 37 Rams 13

2008-09-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Seahawks bounced back from their first 0-2 start in 5 years by thrashing the Rams 37-13 yesterday at Quest field. While the Seahawks were dominant in every phase of the game and physically overwhelmed the Rams, we should be careful not to read too much into this win. The Seahawks won't have such a huge advantage in physical talent week in and week out. That said, it was exactly the kind of win the team needed to get some of its flagging confidence back and it's hard to imagine them beating the Rams any worse even if Branch, Burleson and Engram had played. QB Matt Hasselbeck enjoyed an excellent game as he was able to take advantage of the superiority of the Seahawks offensive line to throw the ball accurately downfield to receivers who were only marginally open on several occasions. The defense was much improved over the previous week against the 49'ers.

Offense: The Seahawks continued their productivity on offense, despite the fact that they were starting a street free agent (Billy McMullen) and a player that was only acquired this week (Keary Colbert) at WR. The Seahawks compensated for their deficiencies in the passing game by pounding the ball on the ground to the tune of 245 yards and 5.4 TPC average. The game plan was executed to perfection by a revamped offensive line which featured Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack at RG (in for the IR’d Rob Sims, who was in for the IR’d-Ret. Chris Gray) and Ray Willis at RT. The line did an exceptional job of dominating the line of scrimmage and opening holes for RB’s Julius Jones and TJ Duckett. Granted, Jones especially was able to spin out of arm tackles and gain lots of extra yards he won’t get against better teams, but the point is the holes were there for a change.

Seahawks RB TJ Duckett

Jones was outstanding in his second straight 100 yard game, piling up 140 yards on only 22 carries for a 6.4 yard average and a touchdown. Duckett added another 79 yards on 19 carries and was extremely effective in short yardage situations. Clearly, Jones has earned the right to get the majority of the carries even after Mo Morris gets back.

QB Matt Hasselbeck was accurate and efficient

In the passing game, veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck was efficient if not outstanding in going 12 for 20 for 172 yards and a touchdown. He looked calm and confident in the pocket and made some exceptional, accurate throws, finishing the game with a 104.6 passer rating. McMullen, practice squad call-up Michael Bumpus and rookie TE John Carlson also made outstanding catches to compliment Hasselbeck’s excellent performance.

McMullen especially is starting to have the look of a keeper. His size, route running and excellent hands make him resemble a poor man’s Bobby Engram, and my guess is he’ll continue to see a lot of playing time even after the return of Engram and Deon Branch. He now has 7 catches for 124 yards (a 17.7 YPC average) in 2 games. Courtney Taylor had one catch for 11 yards, but looked shaky doing it and may have a hard time sticking after the bye week.

Grade – A+

Defense: After a rocky performance against the 49’ers, the defense woke up to play some stout run defense and eliminate the breakdowns in the secondary. They held the Rams to a total of only 65 yards on the ground, an outstanding number. They gave up only 184 yards in the passing game, eliminating the type of big plays on third down that killed the Seahawks against the Rams. The Rams only really big play was dump off pass to Steven Jackson which ended up as a 50 yard gain and led to the Rams only TD. The defense got only 1 sack from Julian Petersen, but they forced a fumble which set up a Matt Hasselbeck TD pass to Bumpus and Deon Grant had an interception. Overall, it was the kind of effort we expected from the defense heading into the season.

Grade – A-

Special Teams: Bumpus muffed a punt which led to a Ram field goal, but other than that the special teams had a thankfully quiet game. The coverage teams were excellent for the most part, and Josh Wilson had 4 kickoff returns for a solid 23.3 yard average. Place kicker Olindo Mare continues to have a perfect season, going 3 for 3 with a long of 38 yards. He’s now 7-7 on the season and also continues to boom his kickoffs into the end zone. So far, he’s been a major upgrade over Josh Brown, who was booed mercilessly by the crowd.

Grade - B

Zebra Report: Thankfully, the zebras mostly kept to themselves after a horrendous performance in week two, when several abysmal calls (and several inexcusable non-calls) cost the Seahawks at least 13 points and the game. There were still a lot of penalties, but none were marginal and they didn’t come at crucial or game changing times.

Grade – B

Rams soon-to-be ex-head coach Scott Linehan

Outlook: The Seahawks must be careful not to read too much into this game. The Rams are as bad a football team as there is in this league, and they played like a team that has given up on their coach. Jones won’t be spinning out of arm tackles against the likes of the Giants, the Packers and the Bucs, the Seahawks next three opponents after the bye. These next three games will really tell the tale of the Seahawks season. After letting a game get away against the 49’ers, they have to come out of these next three no worse than 3-3 if they are to have a chance at winning the division. Even beating the Packers at home will be a tall order, much less upsetting either the defending world champion Giants or the Buccaneers on the road. But they simply must do it if they are to weather the early season injury storm.

Video Highlights

Mike Bara

Seahawks Regular Season Game #1 Preview - Seahawks @ Buffalo Bills

2008-09-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Seahawks open the 2008 regular season in Buffalo on Sunday, in a game that is fraught with peril despite the Seahawks structural advantages in both depth and talent. QB Matt Hasselbeck is coming off a preseason back injury, and the Seahawks uncertainty at WR is well known. Starters Deon Branch and Bobby Engram will miss the game while they rehab injuries. How all this will effect the team remains to be seen.

More likely, the 10AM pacific start time will be a bigger factor. Under Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks have a tendency to start slowly, especially on offense, for at least the first few games. In addition, they usually struggle on the road in 10AM games, because of the ridiculous schedule which requires them to rise at 5AM pacific to get ready to play.

Offense: Expect them to run a lot and pass sparingly. The Seahawks young receivers have done well in preseason, and there is no reason to think that shouldn’t continue into this game, especially if Mike Holmgren uses Seneca Wallace on a dozen plays as a slash or slot receiver. Since only four receivers will be active, expect Wallace to get at least that many snaps. #1 Receiver Nate Burleson will likely draw double coverage all day long.

The Bills will almost certainly stack the line of scrimmage and try to force the Seahawks young recivers to beat them. Pass protection will be the key to breaking down that strategy.

Defense: Defensively, the key will be disrupting young QB Trent Edwards' timing. The Bills have the potential to make some plays, especially given the Seahawks defenses’ tendency to sleepwalk through 10AM east coast games. The Seahawks must get a strong pass rush to stay in the game. Also watch for how the Bills run up the middle with Marshawn Lynch. Expect them to go right at backup DT Craig Terrill, who is subbing for the suspended Rocky Bernard. Backup DT Red Bryant will probably a lot of snaps if Terrill isn’t up to the challenge.

Special Teams: All eyes will be on new kicker Olindo Mare. He was good in preseason but the games count now. We still don’t know who’s going to return punts.

Outlook: Expect a low scoring, mistake filled game. It will almost certainly come down to the last three minutes, with the Seahawks either losing a stinker or eeking out tough win under difficult circumstances.

Prediction: Seahawks, 20-16, but it could go either way.

SHB Takes a Look @ The Final Roster

2008-08-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Promising Seahawks Rookie Justin Forsett

With final cutdowns fast approaching, it’s time for SHB to take a look at how we’d pare the roster, based on performances in the first three pre-season games and practice reports. We have 2 “wildcard” players listed for the final roster spot.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks
Average kept past six seasons: 2.8
In - 3: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Charlie Frye.
Gone – Dalton Bell

Comment: It’s time for the Seahawks to make Frye the in-game backup and move Seneca Wallace to WR\Slash where he belongs. It would be good to get Frye some more snaps this week against the Faiders.

Running Backs
Average kept past six seasons: 5.2
In – 5: Julius Jones, Maurice Morris, Leonard Weaver, Owen Schmitt, Justin Forsett.
Gone – David Kirtman,
Wildcard - TJ Duckett

Comment: Kirtman and Duckett have looked the part at times, but a couple of 12-yard runs against the other team’s 3rd stringers isn’t enough to convince us, TJ. Besides, if they cut him, he’ll probably hang around for half the season anyway before somebody picks him up. Forsett would be snapped up immediately and has more upside.

And Shaun Alexander is still looking for a job if they have an injury…

Tight ends
Average kept past six seasons: 3.
In: John Carlson, Will Heller, Jeb Putzier.
Comments: Carlson should have a big year, and Putzier is a better player than most people think. We should see a lot more 2 TE sets from the Seahawks this year. This position is set.

Wide Receivers
Average kept past six seasons: 5.5
In - 5: Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne
PUP: Deion Branch,
PS - Michael Bumpus
Wildcard - Ben Obomanu

Comment: It’s time to just give up the fantasy that Branch will be ready for the season opener and PUP him already. This means Seneca Wallace will have to play a lot for the first 4-6 weeks, but the coaching staff is always saying he’d be a Pro Bowl WR if he played the position. It’s time to find out for sure.

Offensive line
Average kept past six seasons: 8.8
In- 9: Walter Jones, Mike Wahle, Rob Sims, Chris Spencer, Steve Vallos, Ray Willis, Sean Locklear, Mansfield Wrotto, Floyd Womack.

Comments: This unit seems pretty straightforward, but if it comes right down to it, I’d keep Chop over Wrotto because of his versatility and experience.

Total – OFFENSE – 25

DEFENSE

Defensive line
Average kept past six seasons: 9.3
In - 9: Brandon Mebane, Rocky Bernard, Red Bryant, Lawrence Jackson, Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, Craig Terrill, Howard Green, Jason Babin
Gone: Baraka Atkins, Chris Cooper, Larry Tripplett.

Comments: Green and Babin have played well enough to earn a spots. Atkins has been a disappointment and Tripplett never got going after getting hurt. If Bryant gets healthy, this will be the team’s deepest unit.

Linebackers
Average kept past six seasons: 7.2.
In - 6: Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, Julian Peterson, D.D. Lewis, Lance Laury, David Hawthorne.

PUP: Will Herring
Comment Hawthorne has earned a spot and may be the team’s first legit backup MLB in years. Herring will have to look awfully good in practice to unseat him in week 7.

Defensive backs
In - 9: Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Deon Grant, Brian Russell, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux, C.J. Wallace, Kevin Hobbs, Jamar Adams.

Comments: This is the Seahawks deepest secondary ever. Adams can keep his spot for a while until Branch or Herring come off PUP. He’ll have less value to another team then and might clear waivers for the PS.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Average kept past six seasons: 3
In - 3:
Place Kicker: Olindo Mare
Punter: Ryan Plackemeier
Long Snapper – Jeff Robinson
Comment: Mare and Plack seem to have held off rookie challengers, and Robinson is the only guy out there to LS.

TOTAL DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS – 27

Total – 53

Obviously, the wildcard players (Obomanu and Duckett) will vie for the last spot. Adams might clear waivers, so he could be headed to the practice squad. If Wallace actually does get ready to play more WR, then Obomanu can be dumped in favor of Duckett and his $4.5 million in guaranteed money. The final pre-season game may just decide this issue. We’ll do a revisit after the Faiders game.

Okay, We take it Back...

2008-08-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

What a difference a week makes.

One week after judging Charlie Frye too harshly, I have to say he was impressive in a pre-season week three performance against the Chargers in San Diego. While it’s true that no team runs its full defense in the pre-season games, Frye still looked the part of NFL quarterback, moving around in the pocket, finding open receivers and hitting them accurately. Except for one late throw to Logan Payne, his reads, timing and accuracy were spot on.

A week ago, we were talking about giving up on the guy to clear a roster spot for Justin Forsett or an extra WR. Today I have to say at times he looked Hasselbeck-like out there.

The Seahawks may just have found their QB of the future.

In other game news, Forsett had a drop-off after a couple of outstanding games, looking pretty ordinary out there. The offensive line blocked well, especially Ray Willis filling in for Sean Locklear, and Steve Vallos made a strong case for staying the starter at center. Chris Spencer needs to get healthy quick or he could even be a surprise cut next week. TJ Duckett looked good, but it was all against the third-string guys.

The game did little to sort out the morass at wide receiver. Logan Payne hurt himself with a couple drops, even though one of them could be argued as being Frye’s fault for delivering the ball late and allowing a Chargers DB to get a hand on the ball. Ben Obomanu continues to be the invisible man.

Except for RB and WR, the roster seems to be rounding out nicely and it’s obvious the Seahawks have a lot of depth and are strong just about everywhere. It should be an interesting 10 days as the cutdowns come and some of these key decisions are made.

Lofa Tatupu and Frye both suffered knee injuries, but neither looks to be too serious right now. MRI’s are scheduled for today.

You can watch some game highlights here:

Time to Say Goodbye to Charlie Frye

2008-08-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Seahawks one-year experiment with former Cleveland Browns QB Charlie Frye needs to come to an end. It’s obvious to all that he just doesn’t read and react quickly enough to make it as an NFL QB, and his dismal performance in last week’s pre-season game against the Bears only underscored that fact. This week in practice, he had trouble even connecting with a running back on a screen pass.

It’s a shame really, because Frye was 3rd round pick of the Browns and once thought of as their future. Now, his career is as good as over. It’s doubtful anyone will give him another chance.

Expect the Seahawks to keep him around for another week or so, at least until Matt Hasselbeck’s back heals up all the way. If they are smart, they’ll only keep two QB’s on the opening day roster and use the extra spot for impressive RB Justin Forsett or an extra WR, like the raw Jordan Kent. Also, it’s starting to look like Deon Branch is going to end up on the PUP in week one. They just don’t have the space to carry 2 dead roster spots into the season.

This also opens up the possibility of trading for another QB, like Miami’s John Beck, who looks to be on the outs with the Bill Parcells regime.

Post Combine Mock Draft #2

2008-04-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Now that the NFL Draft Combine has come and gone and the first wave of free agency has petered out, a clearer picture of where players stand has emerged as we head into the stretch run up to the draft. We’ll take another stab at a one round mock based on the combine and free agency results.

1. Miami Dolphins – Needs: ILB, OT, G, CB, QB - Jake Long – OT – Michigan– The Dolphins would obviously dearly love to trade this pick, but that’s not going to happen. They need to go young everywhere and adding Long will give them the beginnings of a solid base to build around. Long will be an instant long term starter for a team rebuilding from the inside out. The additions of DT’s Randy Starks and Jason Fergusen probably take the top DT’s out of the equation. They could also use a QB but will wait for the 2nd round to take another one to add to John Beck.

2. St. Louis Rams – Needs: CB, DE, G, OT, OLB – Chris Long – DE – Virginia – With the Long they wanted (Jake) long gone, the Rams settle for finding an athletic outside playmaker to team with last years #1 pick Adam Carricker. They’ll seriously consider Dorsey, but Long is more versatile and has more upside.

3. Atlanta Falcons – Needs: QB, OT, DT, RB, S – Glenn Dorsey – DT – LSU – This is way too high for Matt Ryan, so the Falcons settle for the top DT in the draft and get one of the elite players. With three second round picks (34, 37 and 48) they have plenty of juice to move up into the late first round and get one of the other QB’s. Dorsey can be a dominant force inside if he lives up to expectations.

4. Oakland Faiders – Needs: OT, DT, WR, DE, RB – Vernon Gholston – DE – Ohio State – Faiders will probably be secretly relieved if McFadden is gone, but they won’t really have much of a dilemma. Having Gholston fall to them is a perfect scenario, because he fits a need and the fact that he’ll command less money than a skill position player. Gholston is shooting up draft boards and looks to be the next Jevon Kearse, if not the next Lawrence Taylor. Al Davis will love that along with denying Gholston to both the Jets and Pats, who covet him but probably won’t trade up to get him.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Needs: OT, QB, DE, C, WR, CB – Matt Ryan - QB – Boston College –The Chief’s obviously wanted Jake Long, but with him long gone and no OL that merits this pick, they reach for Ryan and settle for the franchise QB. Will certainly try and work a deal with Baltimore if the draft falls this way.

6. New York Jets – Needs: WR, NT, ILB, G, OLB – Darren McFadden – RB – Arkansas – The Jets are crying over losing Gholston, but the explosive McFadden will give their offense a dimension that they lacked last season. A one-two punch of Thomas Jones and McFadden will be a dream backfield for the Jets, allowing them to keep their weak defense off the field.

7. New England Patriots (From 49’ers) – Needs: ILB, CB, OLB, OL – Sedrick Ellis – DT – USC – The rich get richer. In their heart of hearts, the Pats would probably prefer to add an athletic ILB, but this is a case of talent matching the pick. They also need a CB to replace Asante Samuel and Randal Gay, who left via free agency, but Ellis is the only player who justifies this pick. They will certainly try to trade out, but with Richard Seymour’s drop off in play late last year, Ellis will make an explosive addition on the inside.

8. Baltimore Ravens – Needs: CB, QB, OLB, DE, OT – Leodis McKelvin – CB – Troy – With Ryan and Jake Long gone, and Ryan Clady not worthy of this selection, the Ravens take the best available CB to fill a need. McKelvin is young and athletic, something that the Ravens really need to add to their defensive backfield.

9. Cincinnati Bengals – Needs: DT, LB, OT, DE, TE – Keith Rivers – OLB – USC – The Bengals have a real need at DT, especially after failing to acquire one in free agency, but Ellis and Dorsey are gone so they have to “settle” for the best available front seven player, and that’s Rivers. He will give them a very athletic playmaker at the second level, something they haven’t had since Takeo Spikes left.

10. New Orleans Saints – Needs: CB, DT, MLB, TE, OLB – Dominique Rodgers Cromartie – CB – Tenn. St.– The Saints are cringing, since they wanted Rivers, but they still need a corner in the worst way especially after they wiffed on Asante Samuel and ended up settling for Randall Gay. Cromartie would be an instant upgrade to their secondary and would help turn the position around.

11. Buffalo Bills – Needs: TE, CB, WR, LB, DT – Devin Thomas – WR – Michigan State – The Bills are in a tough spot here. The talent available doesn’t match their needs. They’ll try to trade out, but may get stuck reaching for a player. They need a big play threat to help out impressive rookie QB Trent Edwards, and Thomas is exactly the kind of big, Braylon Edwards type target that fills the “Bill.” His sub 4.4 40 at the combine helped solidify him as the best of the big receivers in the draft. Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans and Thomas will give the Bills a very impressive skill group to build around.

12. Denver Broncos – Needs: OT, DT, S, MLB, G – Chris Williams – OT – Vanderbilt – Now the run on the second tier offensive linemen begins. The Broncos need to shore up their sagging defense, but the OL is in really bad shape. Williams’s mobility and athleticism make him a perfect fit for the Broncos zone blocking scheme, and they desperately need bodies on the OL right now. Some like Jeff Otah or Ryan Clady here, but Williams is a better fit athletically.

13. Carolina Panthers – Needs: QB, WR, DE, OLB, OT – Brenden Albert – OG – The smart move would be to grab a long term solution at QB here by taking someone like Joe Flacco or Brian Brohm, but after two straight years out of the playoffs coach John fox is fighting for his job. DE Derek Harvey could make up for Mike Rucker’s impending retirement and Julius Peppers declining production, but Fox believes that an OL could make a bigger impact. Albert will probably play guard for a year and then slide to tackle after Jordan Gross leaves in free agency.

14. Chicago Bears – Needs: QB, WR, OT, DT, G, RB – Ryan Clady – OT - Boise State– The Bears would be foolish to pass on local product Rashard Mendenhall, but it looks like that’s exactly what they intend to do. Clady will at least solidify a weak area, but Mendenhall would have scored a lot more touchdowns.

15. Detroit Lions – Needs: OT, G, CB, S, DE – Rashard Mendenhall – RB – Illinois – The Lions lines broke down on both sides of the ball in the second half of the season, so fixing them should be a priority. However, Mendenhall is the top rated RB left on the board and he fills a need area. Some even consider him the best overall back in the draft.

16. Arizona Cardinals – Needs: OLB, CB, TE, RB, DE - Felix Jones, RB – Arkansas – The Cardinals have been trying to find a franchise RB since before Denny Green came to town, and they finally get a home run hitter in Jones. The easy pick would be a CB, but Jones and Edgerrin James will give the Cards a true thunder and lightening combo like the Giants have.

17. Minnesota Vikings – Needs: DE, WR, S, QB, TE – Derek Harvey – DE – Florida - The Vikings need an edge pass rusher in the worst way, and by staying put and being patient, they are rewarded with the second best pure DE in the draft. Harvey’s solid all around play should help their anemic pass rush right away. They’d probably be inclined to grab a WR if one graded out to this pick, but word out of Minnesota is that a pass rushing DE is the top priority. Besides, why bother drafting a WR first when your quarterback is Tavaris Jackson?

18. Houston Texans – Needs: CB, G, WR, S, OT – Johnathan Stewart – RB – Oregon – This pick ends the mini-run on first round RB’s. The Texans have a lot of needs, but they had real issues scoring touchdowns when they lost Andre Johnson last year. Stewart gives them an explosive threat in the running game and can take some pressure off Matt Schaub. Could go for a CB, but there are a ton of those in this draft. Stewart’s recent foot surgery could hurt his stock too, but he just has too much talent to ignore and the Texans have a viable need.

19. Philadelphia Eagles – Needs: OT, S, WR, LB, TE – Aqib Talib – CB – Kansas - Obviously, the Eagles need playmakers on offense, and the OT’s are a real problem area, but they also need a CB to team with Assante Samuel in the backfield. With Lito Sheppard on the trading block, Talib will step right into the nickel at least and may even start.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Needs: OT, WR OLB, CB, QB - Mike Jenkins CB – South Florida – With Cadillac Williams possibly done for good and Jeff Garcia 37 years old, the Bucs need a young stud to energize their offense. Too bad all the first round RB’s are off the board and Brian Brohm doesn’t quite grade out to this pick. Seeing this, Chucky Gruden will settle for filling an obvious need in Jenkins who is the smart and smooth kind of corner that Tampa always finds.

21. Washington Redskins – Needs: WR, DE, S, OT, CB – Calais Campbell – DE – Miami – The Redskins have always preferred big receivers, and new coach Jim Zorn feels the same way. They need a downfield playmaker opposite Santana Moss to help out the erratic Jason Campbell. The problem is there isn’t one that meets the value of this selection. Campbell is a huge, hard working player who can make an impact as rookie and should only get better. The poor man’s Mario Williams.

22. Dallas Cowboys (From Browns) – Needs: CB, WR, OT, ILB, RB – Dan Connor – ILB – Penn State – The Cowboys probably thought that one of the top four CB’s would be here when they picked, or at least one of the top four running backs. Instead, they may be forced to reach for need since none of the players left would help enough at either of those spots. Connor has value at a need position, even though it’s not their top need, so he’s the pick.

23. Pittsburgh Stealers – Needs: OT, C, DE, OG, RB – Jeff Otah – OT – Pittsburgh – This pick will almost certainly be an OL, and the way we have the draft falling it will come down to an OT or a OG. Tackles are harder to find.

24. Tennessee Titans – Needs: WR, CB, TE, WR, OL – Mario Manningham – WR – Michigan – The Titans need to get help for Vince Young or risk him regressing into a bust. It will be a tough call between Manningham and Young’s former teammate Limas Sweed, but they may be able to get him in the second round. Manningham may be a bit of a reach this high after he ran a slow 40 at the combine, but he’s always behind defenders on film and he upped his 40 time at Michigan’s recent pro day.

25. Seattle Seahawks – Needs: TE, PK, DE, DT, OT, RB – Brian Brohm – QB – Louisville – If Brohm falls to the Seahawks, you can bet their phone will start ringing with trade offers for him. But unless the offers are off the charts, the Seahawks should resist the temptation and take the proverbial “QB of the future.” Matt Hasselbeck is getting up there, and if they take Brohm this year he could be ready to start next year when the new regime of Jim Mora Jr. takes over. That would also give GM Tim “Timmay!” Numbskell the chance to trade Hasselbeck next season and complete his dismantling of the 2005 Super Bowl team. TE and place kicker are the team’s two most obvious needs, but they can get a solid TE prospect in the second round and a kicker isn’t even on the radar until day two. If a big DE like Campbell falls here, they should seriously consider that as well, but with most of the TE’s rated as second round picks, this is a luxury pick for the Seahawks.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars – Needs: WR, DE, SS, CB – Phillip Merling – DE – Clemson – After trading for Troy Williamson, the Jags are free to address other needs, like a quality outside pass rusher. Merling is a complete player who can help right away.

27. San Diego Chargers - Needs: G, OT, NT, FB, RB – Kentwan Balmer – DT – North Carolina – The Chargers are still good enough that they can afford to go BAA mode with this pick, and Balmer is the best left on the board.

28. Dallas Cowboys – Needs: CB, WR, OT, ILB, RB – Brandon Flowers - CB – Virginia Tech (db – NOT the Brandon Flowers who is the lead singer of The Killers) - Yes, the Giants playoff loss should have made it obvious that the Cowboys need another threat in the passing game opposite to (or in place of) Terrell Owens, but CB is a bigger need and Flowers will make the adjustment to the pro level better than a WR would. The Cowboys can get a wideout in the second round and a RB even later than that.

29. San Francisco 49ers – Needs: WR, OT, OLB, DE, QB – Gosder Cherilus – OT – Boston College – The 49’ers OL was horrible last year, and Cherilus is a valid first round talent.

30. Green Bay Packers – Needs: OT, S, CB, TE, P – Antoine Cason - CB – Arizona – The Packers CB’s are good, but both Al Harris and Charles Woodson are over 30. Besides, an infusion of youth at a speed position never hurt anybody.

31. New York Giants – Needs: OLB, CB, S, OT, DT – Quentin Groves – OLB – Auburn – Giants could use an upgrade at OLB, and the athletic Groves will be a nice fit in their scheme.

Seahawks Draft Strategery

If the draft actually falls the way we project, with the Seahawks faced with a choice of the #1 tight end on the board the QB of the future or possibly trading out, what they do will tell us a lot about the coming season. If they are in BAA mode and take the QB of the future or LT of the future instead of the “need” pick of a TE, then that will tell us that GM Tim “Timmay!” Numbskull couldn’t care less about Mike Holmgren’s last season in the Northwest and is looking to keep the team competitive long term. It will also tell us that he doesn’t care as much about wining as he does winning his way and with “his” guys. If, on the other hand, they make the obvious choice and take the TE, then it will tell us that he’s committed to making the picks that will most help the team this year, not 2-3 years from now. Most fans would probably prefer to see the team go for it this year, and worry about the future with next year’s draft.

There is always the possibility that the Seahawks trade the rights to Brohm to a QB needy team such as Atlanta, which has three picks in the second round. Such a move would enable the Seahawks to regain the pick they gave away in the disastrous Alvin Pearman trade.As far as the rest of the draft goes, the Seahawks will probably have to reach a bit in the early rounds, since they pick so late. They will also not neglect the defensive side of the ball despite their obvious needs on offense. There are constant rumors that they intend to draft a running back at some point, despite have a roster stacked with Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Julius Jones and TJ Duckett.

Seahawks Projected picks in other rounds:

Round 2 (55) – John Carlson – TE – Notre Dame – If they pass on a TE at #25, they absolutely must address the position in round 2. Carlson is the most balanced combination of a blocker\pass catcher in the draft. His measurables aren’t that great, but he plays solid and sound football and can move the chains, something the Seahawks haven’t had since Itula Mili retired.

Round 3 (86) – Jeremy Thompson – DE – Wake Forrest – The Seahawks need to add some depth and size at the DE position, and Thompson can provide both. All the Seahawks have behind starters Patrick Kearney and Darrell Tapp is listless rookie Baraka Atkins. Thompson may eventually supplant Tapp as the every down DE, making Tapp a designated pass rusher, a more appropriate role for him.

Round 4 – Bryan Kehl – OLB - BYU – Kehl can fill the Seahawks needs for a special teams player and backup OLB. Kehl had a productive career at BYU and should make an excellent head hunter on kicking teams.

Round 5 – No Pick – This selection was traded away in the Alvin Pearman deal.

Round 6 – Tim Bugg – LS – Indiana – The Seahawks have suffered with poor long snapping for two years now, and Bugg is super accurate even in tough conditions. This won’t be a problem again for years to come.

Round 7 – Art Carmody – PK – Louisville – Losing Josh Brown creates a crying need at the place kicker position. Expect the Seahawks to bring at least two kickers to camp to compete for the job.

-- Mike Bara

Seahawks Sign Wahle, Finally Solidify LG Position

2008-02-15T15:54:00.001-08:00

The Seattle Seahawks signed veteran LG Mike Wahle on Thursday, finally solidifying a position that has been a problem area for the last two seasons. The Seahawks have been attempting to fill the gaping hole next to future Hall of Famer Walter Jones ever since LG Steve Hutchinson was allowed to leave in the infamous “ClusterHutch” poison pill fiasco in the 2006 off-season.

Wahle, a ten year veteran, has appeared in two Pro Bowls (2005 and 2006, with Carolina) and was released this week in a cost-cutting move by the Panthers, who needed cap space to sign LT Trevelle Wharton and SS Chris Harris to long term deals.

Despite his age, Wahle is a durable veteran who understands protection schemes and has a mean streak in the running game the Seahawks desperately need. His presence in the line should restore some of the Seahawks left-handed tendencies from years past and make RB Shaun Alexander more effective. Signing Wahle also allows the Seahawks to move OG Rob Sims, who has been inconsistent at best in his first two years in the league, to the right side. Sims will compete with Tom Ashworth, Ray Willis and veteran Chris Gray to try to upgrade that side of the line.

The signing of Wahle should also bring to a close the cycle of events that have been in motion since GM Tim “Timmay!” Numbskull committed the biggest front office blunder since the Vikings traded 12 players to the Cowboys for RB Herschel Walker. Known as the “ClusterHutch” incident, Numbskull decided to save a measly $500k on the salary cap by designating free agent OG Steve Hutchinson as a Transition player instead of using the Franchise tag that he and Coach Mike Holmgren had agreed on. The Vikings then exploited Numbskull’s folly by creating an offer sheet that would have guaranteed all of Hutchinson’s $49 million dollar salary. This “poison pill” provision effectively prevented the Seahawks from matching the offer and Hutchinson subsequently moved to the Vikings.

As a result, Numbskull then needed to make a splash in free agency and ended up overpaying for LB Julian Petersen. Hutchinson’s absence also led to the drafting of Sims in 2006, Mansfield Wrotto in 2007, and the disastrous pursuit of OG Chris Dielman in free agency last year. After using Numbskull to drive up his price, Dielman then spurned the Seahawks and re-signed with the Chargers. This embarrassment then led Numbskull to once again try to save face by overpaying for 31 year old DE Patrick Kearney.

In retrospect, the while Petersen and Kearney are both good players, the $37 million in guarantees they received are almost as much as the $49 million the Seahawks would have had to dole out (over 7 years) to Hutchinson. Arguably, the loss of Hutchinson has caused the Seahawks far more problems and games then the signing of these two players has won. Even though we supported the decision not to match the deal once it became fully guaranteed, the fact is that Hutchinson is a future Hall of Famer, and it might have been smarter to match the offer, guarantees or not. At least with the signing of Wahle, the shockwaves have finally subsided.

SHB

Seahawk Boys First 2008 Mock Draft

2008-01-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

1. Miami Dolphins – Needs: MLB, OT, G, DT, CB, QB - Glenn Dorsey – DT – LSU – Dorsey will probably become the consensus #1 player over the next three months, and the Dolphins need help everywhere.

2. St. Louis Rams – Needs: CB, DE, G, OT, OLB – Jake Long – OT – Michigan - Rams are in total disarray everywhere, but especially need to protect QB Marc Bulger and RB Steven Jackson if they are to have a chance at winning this year. Long can spend a couple years at RT before moving over to take the place of the aging Orlando Pace, who may be finished.

3. Atlanta Falcons – Needs: QB, OT, DT, RB, S – Matt Ryan - QB – Boston College – This is way too high for Ryan, but he’s the best QB in a thin draft for QB’s and the Falcons are desperate.

4. Oakland Raiders – Needs: OT, DT, WR, DE, RB – Darren McFadden – RB – Arkansas – Faiders have bigger needs than a RB, but McFadden is just too good to pass up, especially with the 4th overall pick.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Needs: OT, DE, C, WR, CB – Chris Long – DE – Virginia – There is no way Long should have lasted this long, but he does and the Chiefs can bookend him with Jared Allen. The OL will have to wait for round 2.

6. New York Jets – Needs: WR, NT, ILB, G, OLB – Vernon Gholston – DE – Ohio State – The Jets have lots of needs, but they were really bad at rushing the passer last year (25th in sacks) and Gholston could really help in that area. Can flash between hand down DE and stand up OLB in the Jets 3-4.

7. New England Patriots (From 49’ers) – Needs: ILB, CB, OLB, OL – Mike Jenkins CB – South Florida – The rich get richer. In their heart of hearts, the soon-to-be world champion Pats would probably prefer to add an athletic ILB, but this is a case of talent matching the pick. They also need a CB to replace Assante Samuel, so Jenkins makes sense.

8. Baltimore Ravens – Needs: CB, QB, OLB, DE, OT – Ryan Clady – OT Boise State - A lot of people have the Ravens taking a QB here, but Brian Brohm would be a real reach and they have just as big a need to find Jonathan Ogden’s replacement. Clady represents value for this pick and he can understudy at RT for a year if Ogden comes back.

9. Cincinnati Bengals – Needs: DT, LB, OT, DE, TE – Sedrick Ellis – DT – USC – the Bengals have a real need at DT, and Ellis falls right into their laps. A quick, strong Tommie Harris type, he should really help the Bengals get a push up the middle they’ve lacked since Tim Krumrie manned the DT spot in the 80’s.

10. New Orleans Saints – Needs: CB, DT, MLB, TE, OLB – Aqib Talib – CB – Kansas – The Saints need a corner in the worst way, and Talib would be an instant upgrade to their secondary.

11. Buffalo Bills – Needs: TE, CB, WR, LB, DT – Malcolm Kelley – WR – Oklahoma – The Bills need a big play threat to help out impressive rookie QB Trent Edwards, and Kelly is exactly the kind of big, Braylon Edwards type target that is needed. Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans and Kelly will give the Bills a very impressive skill group to build around.

12. Denver Broncos – Needs: OT, DT, S, MLB, G – Kentwan Balmer – DT – North Carolina – The Broncos need to shore up their sagging defense, and the best place to start is up front with the massively talented Balmer. He could mask a myriad of sins in the defensive backfield if he can make as many plays at the NFL level as he did in college.

13. Carolina Panthers – Needs: QB, WR, DE, OLB, OT – Calais Campbell – DE – Miami – The smart move would be to grab a long term solution at QB here by taking either Brohm or Andre’ Woodson, but after two straight years out of the playoffs coach John fox is fighting for his job. Campbell can hopefully make up for Mike Rucker’s impending retirement and Julius Peppers declining production.

14. Chicago Bears – Needs: QB, OT, DT, G, RB – Joe Flacco – QB – Delaware – The Bears are rebuilding in the pivot and Flacco has all the athletic tools. The Bears will fall in love with his big arm. He can sit behind Brian Griese and Kyle Orton for a year while he learns the NFL game.

15. Detroit Lions – Needs: OT, G, CB, S, DE – Chris Williams – OT – Vanderbilt – The Lions lines broke down on both sides of the ball in the second half of the season, so fixing them should be a priority. Don’t be surprised however if they go for Brohm or one of the remaining RB’s.

16. Arizona Cardinals – Needs: OLB, CB, TE, RB, DE - Johnathan Stewart – RB – Oregon – The Cardinals have been trying to find a franchise RB since before Denny Green came to town, and they finally get one in Stewart. His development will surely help Matt Lienart’s.

17. Minnesota Vikings – Needs: DE, WR, S, QB, TE – Phillip Merling – DE – Clemson – The Vikings need an edge pass rusher in the worst way, and even though Merling isn’t a pure speed guy, he’s a complete player who should help their anemic pass rush.

18. Houston Texans – Needs: CB, G, WR, S, OT – DeSean Jackson – WR – California – The Texans have a lot of needs, but they had real issues scoring touchdowns when they lost Andre Johnson last year. Jackson gives them an explosive threat on the opposite side and will help open up the running game as well.

19. Philadelphia Eagles – Needs: OT, S, WR, LB, TE – Sam Baker – OT – USC – The Eagles OT’s are a real problem area, and even though they need playmakers on offense, with Jackson and Kelly off the board they have little choice but to shore up the OL. Baker will push for a starting job right away and should be an upgrade over Jon Runyan, at least.

20. Tampa bay Buccaneers – Needs: OT, WR OLB, CB, QB - Felix Jones, RB – Arkansas – With Cadillac Williams possibly done for good and Jeff Garcia 37 years old, the Bucs need a young stud to energize their offense. The explosive Jones fits the bill and will be a nice two-headed monster teamed with Earnest Graham.

21. Washington Redskins – Needs: WR, DE, S, OT, CB – Limas Sweed – WR – Texas – The Redskins need a downfield playmaker opposite Santana Moss, and Sweed has the best chance of the remaining players to fill that bill. Besides, taking him forces the Cowboys to reach to fill their need at WR. Will also be tempted by Miami S Kenny Phillips.

22. Dallas Cowboys (From Browns) – Needs: CB, WR, OT, ILB, RB – Mario Manningham – WR – Michigan – The Giants game should have made it obvious that the Cowboys need another threat in the passing game opposite to (or in place of) Terrell Owens. Manningham may be a bit of a reach this high, but with Sweed off the board there likely won’t be a WR of this caliber around when the Cowboys pick again at 28. They’d be delighted if Sweed slipped here instead.

23. Pittsburgh Stealers – Needs: OT. C, DE, G, RB – Jeff Otah – OT – Pittsburgh – This pick will almost certainly be an OL, and the way we have the draft falling it will come down to an OT or a OG (Chilo Rachal). Tackles are harder to find.

24. Tennessee Titans – Needs: WR, CB, TE, WR, OL – Leodis McKelvin – CB – Troy – The Titans would have loved a WR here, but they settle for shoring up their defensive backfield. Bye, Pacman.

25. Seattle Seahawks – Needs: TE, OG, RB, DT – Fred Davis – TE – USC – This will be a tough call between Davis and Rashard Mendenhall if the draft falls this way. Medenhall would give the Seahawks the explosive young legs they lacked in the backfield last year, and would serve the team well over the next few years. But with Mike Holmgren coming back for one more shot at it next year and TE the biggest gaping hole on the roster, the smooth and productive Davis is just too good to pass up. Fingers will be crossed that Shaun Alexander can find one more season of magic in his aging legs.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars – Needs: WR, DE, SS, CB – Kenny Phillips – S – Miami – The Jags need get a quality DB to help run their defensive backfield. Phillips has Ed Reed like instincts for the game.

27. San Diego Chargers - Needs: G, OT, NT, FB, RB – Rashard Mendenhall – RB – Illinois – This surprise pick signals to LT that his days are numbered in SD. Tomlinson’s breakdown in the AFC playoffs makes replacing Michael Turner an imperative.

28. Dallas Cowboys – Needs: CB, WR, OT, ILB, RB – Dan Connor – ILB – Penn State – Having filled their WR need at 21, the Cowboys can go into best fit mode and take Connor, who will drastically upgrade their second line of defense.

29. San Francisco 49ers – Needs: WR, OT, OLB, DE, QB – Brian Brohm – QB – Louisville – With Alex Smith on the verge of flaming out, adding a quality young arm to pressure him is a priority.

30. Green Bay Packers – Needs: OT, S, CB, TE, P – Chilo Rachal – OG – USC – Packers need a few more studs up front, and Rachal has already lasted way too long.

31. New York Giants – Needs: OLB, CB, S, OT, DT – Ali Highsmith – OLB – LSU – Giants could use an upgrade at OLB, and the athletic Highsmith will be a nice fit in their scheme.

Seahawks Draft Strategery

If the draft actually falls the way we project, with the Seahawks faced with a choice of the #1 tight end on the board or one of the consensus top four backs with a first round grade (Mendehall, Stewart, McFadden or Jones), then what they do in round one will tell us a lot about the coming season. If they are in BAA mode and take the RB of the future instead of the “need” pick of a TE, then that will tell us that GM Tim “Timmay!” Numbskull couldn’t care less about Mike Holmgren’s last season in the Northwest and is looking to keep the team competitive long term. It will also tell us that he doesn’t care as much about wining as he does winning his way and with “his” guys. If, on the other hand, they make the obvious choice and take the TE, then it will tell us that he’s committed to making the picks that will most help the team this year, not 2-3 years from now. Most fans would probably prefer to see the team go for it this year, and worry about the future with next year’s draft.

As far as the rest of the draft goes, the Seahawks will probably have to reach a bit in the early rounds, since they pick so late. They will also not neglect the defensive side of the ball despite their obvious needs on offense.

Seahawks Projected picks in other rounds:

Round 2 – Heath Bennedict – OT – Newberry – Massive and tough small school prospect whose stock is skyrocketing. Can start right away at either RG or RT and move to LT when Walter Jones calls it quits.

Round 3 – Tom Zbikowski – S – Notre Dame – Smart, big hitting safety who can be ready to fill in if there’s an injury to the starters and eventually move into the starting line-up in another year.

Round 4 – Owen Schmitt – FB – West Virginia – Bone chilling lead blocker who has the hands and speed to be a third down back and the power to be a short yardage specialist. His blocking can help resurrect a sagging Seahawks run game. The best all around fullback prospect since John L. Williams.

Round 5 – Jonny Dingle – DE – West Virginia – Numbskull won’t completely neglect the defensive side of the ball, and DE is still a position where depth is needed. All the Seahawks have behind starters Patrick Kearney and Darrell Tapp is listless rookie Baraka Atkins. Dingle will give the Seahawks a DE with some size and pass rushing upside.

Round 6 – Tim Bugg – LS – Indiana – The Seahawks have suffered with poor long snapping for two years now, and Bugg is super accurate even in tough conditions. This won’t be a problem again for years to come.

Round 7 – Wesley Woodyard – OLB – Kentucky – Small (6-1, 215), athletic OLB who probably won’t ever start. Woodyard can be an impact player on special teams right away in the mold of former Seahawk Rufus Porter.

-- Mike Bara

Bills On The Clock

2007-04-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

12. Bills - Marshon Lynch, RB, CAL - This guy's portrait looks like a mug shot. Showing highlights against the Huskies defense doesn't count. Good pick to support JP Losman at QB.

ESPN Coverage

2007-04-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

So far I have counted 11 guys sitting behind desks commenting on the draft, not counting Suzie Kolber, and I have to watch her in High Def. Ugh.

Talk about overkill.

49ers

2007-04-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

11. - 49ers - Patrick Willis, LB MISS - Hawks had trouble handling 49ers D last year; that job just got tougher.

SB Draft Day Blog

2007-04-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

1. Raiders - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU - Upside: Doug Williams; Downside: Akili Smith. Betting here is Smith.

2. Lions - Calvin Johnson, WR, GT. - 4 WR's in 5 years. Betting here is this one can actually play.

3. Browns - Joe Thomas, OT, WIS. - The Browns have no running game, so they pass on a legit third pick (A. Peterson) at RB to take a tackle who's already had one catastrophic knee injury. Stupid.

4. Bucs - Gaines Adams, DE, CLEM. - Another team that needs a running game or any kind of offense, so they pick for defense.

5. Cards - Levi Brown, OT, PENN ST. - 30th in the league in rushing, so they too pass on Peterson to take a tackle. Good news for the Hawks.

6. Redskins - LaRon Landry, S, LSU - Taking a safety in the top ten is not a good value.

7. Vikings - Adrian Peterson, RB, OKA - Vikings cash in on other team's stupidity. Peterson is great value at No. 7.

8. Falcons - Jamaal Anderson, DE, ARK - They needed a DE after losing Patrick Kearny to the Hawks. Anderson fills a need, but by next year they may be asking why they passed on Brady Quinn for Ron Mexico.

9. Dolphins - Ted Ginn, WR, OSU - Dolphins lay the biggest egg, passing on Quinn for a WR who had foot surgery after the season. Dumb.

10. Texans - Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville - Pot smoking teenager from Darfur, or somewhere. Should help Texans fans forget what's-his-name they took last year over Vince Young.

Continued...

Seahawks Lose Dielman-Another Cluster-Hutch in the Making

2007-03-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

After wining and dining Chargers OG Kris Dielman for the last 24 hours, the Seahawks were snubbed once again in free agency when Dielman re-signed with the Chargers on Saturday. Although terms are not yet known, it's clear that once again Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell got out manuvered by a player agent. Either the Seahawks were unwilling to pay the going rate for a quality OG (established last year when Steve Hutchinson bolted the Seahawks in the infamous "poison pill" incident), or more likley, Dielman was always using the Seahawks as leverage to get the Chargers to pay up.

The one other possibility is that once it became obvious that the Seahawks would have to pay "Steve Hutchinson money" to a guy who wasn't as good a year later, it would have made Ruskell look like an idiot. Again.

The real question now is how coach Mike Holmgren feels about the front office losing yet another player he appearantly coveted.

Posted by MB

2007-01-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Seahawks up and down 2006 season came to an abrupt end in Chicago last weekend where the team lost for the second time this year, 27-24. This tough loss came on the heels of one of the most improbable and exciting finishes in NFL playoff history when Dallas QB Tony Romo had a “stuck-in-a-moment-you-can’t-get-out-of-kind of” kind of play when he fumbled the snap on a possible game winning, chip-shot field goal by Martin “Battlestar” Gramatica. The high of that scintillating win (capped by Jordan Babineaux’s game saving tackle when Romo tried to run the ball in) was offset by the low of losing to a vulnerable and overrated Bears team in the windy city. Had any one of about 4 offensive plays gone right in the final 4 minutes of regulation and overtime, the Seahawks would still be playing this week with a legitimate shot to return to the Super Bowl by beating the Saints. Unfortunately, like so many things this year, nothing fell into place easily and the Seahawks squandered several chances to win the game. As the team heads into the off-season, it can take solace in the fact that they won their division, a Wild Card playoff game and nearly made the NFC Championship game despite a rash of injuries to key players that is nearly unheard of in recent NFL history. That said, better execution and coaching on just a few plays might have resulted in an extended season.

The Good - The Seahawks showed some guts by hanging tough and winning their division despite all the injuries they suffered. RB Shaun Alexander seems to be recovered from a broken bone in his left foot, and he ran very effectively in the latter part of the season. The defense stiffened up in the final four games despite losing their no. 1, 2 and 3 CB’s to injury. Rookie Kelly Jennings and street free agent Pete Hunter played well in their absence. LB’s Lofa Tatupu, Julian Petersen and Leroy Hill combined for 1 5.5 sacks (Petersen had 10 of them) and 303 tackles and were the teams most consistent unit.

The Bad - QB Matt Hasselbeck had his most scatter-armed season, throwing some of the worst picks of his career. Hasselbeck seemed to regress as he dealt with a plethora of injuries, ranging from cracked ribs to broken fingers to a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. It remains to be seen just how much these injuries affected his play, as most of his bad picks and bad sacks appeared to be the result of horrible, panicky decision making rather than physical infirmities. WR Deion Branch was inconsistent after a quick start with the team. WR Darrel Jackson dropped a bunch of sure first downs and missed a number of games with various injuries. TE Jeremy Stevens was wildly inconsistent, yet made a number of spectacular athletic plays down the stretch. The same five offensive linemen didn’t suit up for more than one week in a row until the final three games of the season, and that hurt continuity and severely affected blocking schemes. The coaching was frequently conservative and played into the hands of opponents. LB Julian Petersen had 8 sacks in the first 8 games and only two thereafter.

The Ugly - The OL gave up way too many sacks, the safeties gave up way too many deep balls and some of the secondary breakdowns were catastrophic. After losing Macus Tubbs to a season ending injury, the defense gave up way too many rushing yards. The showed a distinct lack of toughness and preparation in horrendous losses to the 49’ers and Cardinals in the second half of the year. Had they beaten these crappy teams, they would have secured a second round game at home, a bye week and might be hosting the NFC championship game this weekend.

Outlook – Despite the playoff loss to the Bears, there are reasons for optimism in Seattle. The Seahawks still have enough talent to make another Super Bowl run, although their window may be closing. It’s hard to imagine that they will endure as many injuries as they suffered this year, and with a healthier team, their chances of winning the NFC are as good as any teams’ next season.

Posted by - Mike Bara

Seahawks Game Blog Week 16 - Chargers 20, Seahawks 17

2006-12-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Seahawks limped toward the postseason in week 16 as they continued their late season fade with a 20-17 loss at home to the NFL's best team, the San Diego Chargers. Despite the loss, which came on another late game defensive breakdown when Seahawk safety Michael Boulware got beat deep with 37 seconds to play, the Seahawks clinched the NFC West division title and a playoff spot as a result of the 49'ers loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The setback still had a silver lining however, as the team played one of its best games of the year and really only came up short because of a Bill Leavy-like penalty which cost them a special teams TD.

The Good - The Seahawks erased the memory of their collapse at home against the 49'ers with a solid all around effort. The nine days of rest seemed to work wonders for this aging, banged up team, and they played with an intensity and focus that has been lacking in recent weeks. Shaun Alexander pounded the ball on the ground for 140 yards and 2 TD's on 31 carries, wearing down the Chargers vaunted defense and staking the Seahawks to a 17-13 lead going into the final minute of the game. The defense generally contained Chargers RB Ladainian Tomlinson except for one 62 yard run that accounted for most of his yardage. Other than that one carry, Tomlinson was held to just 61 yards on 21 carries, a 2.9 yard average. Pretty good for a defense that has been struggling against the run. The special teams produced a Nate Burleson TD on a punt return that was unjustifiably called back.

The Bad - QB Matt Hasselbeck continued his scatter-armed ways, throwing two bad picks that took the Seahawks out of scoring range. WR Deion Branch dropped 6 (yes SIX) passes, not exactly picking up the slack for Darrel Jackson. Holmgren's late game play calling may have been too conservative.

The Ugly - The OL gave up six sacks, most of which came on botched assignments. When the OL got their hands on the right guy, the blocking was generally excellent. LT Walter Jones dominated Shawne Merriman when he got his hands on him. Boulware's late game breakdown was catastrophic and inexcusable.

Zebra Report - As mentioned above, Benny Joppru was called for a holding penalty on a TD punt return by Nate Burleson that would have given the Seahawks a 14-13 lead and probably a 24-20 win. Replays showed he executed a perfect block, clearly did not hold, and didn't even do anything that could legitimately be mis-construed as a hold. The referee's call was totally unjustified. He simply wanted to call the TD back and did so. The Zebra in question should be fined, suspended or fired for costing the Seahawks a TD and probably the game.

Outlook - If this game proved anything, it's that the Seahawks need rest a lot more than reps at this point in the season. This is an older, banged up team, and resting key older players this weekend in a meaningless game against the Bucs would go a long way to helping a post season run. So of course, Mike Holmgren is going to play his starters instead, which will probably mean dead legs and a quick post season exit. The Seahawks showed this week they can beat any team in the NFL if their older players get enough time to rest and rehab. The performance contrast between the 49'ers game (3 days rest) and the Chargers game (9 days rest) proves the thesis. The Seahawks could make a post season run, but only if Holmgren stops being so stubborn and lets key vets like Hasselbeck, Alexander and Jones take the week off.

Prediction: Seahawks 20 - Bucs 17

Posted by - Mike Bara

Seahawks Game Blog Week 10 - Seahawks 24, Rams 22

2006-11-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Seahawks beat the Rams for second time this season on a last second field goal by Josh Brown, stretching their record to 6-3 and securing a two-and-a-half game edge over the Rams in the race for the NFC West division title. The Seahawks travel to San Francisco this weekend where they can effectively put the division title away with a win over the suddenly resurgent 4-5 49’ers.

Analysis – The Seahawks once again rode a strong defensive performance to a victory over the always dangerous Rams, just as they had against the far weaker Raiders on Monday night. The defense added 4 sacks and pressured Rams QB Marc Bulger at key times. Offensively, the Seahawks rode a strong running game to 24 offensive points.

The Good – Maurice Morris once again ran for more than 100 yards, as he went 21-124 for a 5.9 average. Seneca Wallace was more than efficient, chalking up a 15-23 day with 2 TD’s, no interceptions and 114.6 passer rating. He made several very tough throws on the run, including a key completion on the game winning drive. He managed the game well except for a key play on the first drive and generally had excellent accuracy. The OL opened rushing lanes for the second straight week, with Pork Chop Womack and last minute starter C Chris Spencer really firing out from their stances on key runs. The defense covered the deep patterns very well and held the Rams to just 15 offensive points. The special teams came through with a huge fourth quarter 90 yard punt return to put the Seahawks ahead late.

The Bad – After holding down the potent Rams offense for three and a half quarters, the defense surrendered its only TD of the day with less than three minutes to play. Holmgren seemed to abandon the run in the third quarter as the Seahawks were pinned in their own end for the better part of the half. His poor play calling contributed to the Seahawks offensive woes during this part of the game.

The Ugly – QB Seneca Wallace held the ball too long on a third and goal at the five yard line, and an unblocked Leonard Little had time to jar the ball loose. Rams DT Victor Adeyanju returned the fumble 89 yards for a touchdown, amounting to a 14 point swing.

Zebra Report – Amazingly, the Zebras had a clean game. No complaints from SHB.

Outlook – The Seahawks may get Shaun Alexander back for the 49’ers game, and if they do it could make a big difference against the newly resurgent home team.

Prediction – Seahawks 28 – 49’ers 20

Posted by – Mike Bara

Seahawks Game Blog Game # 8 - Seahawks 16, Raiders 0

2006-11-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

Talk about taking one for the team.

The Seahawks rode a swarming defense to a 16-0 shutout on Monday Night Football over the hapless Oakland Raiders. The defensive effort was highlighted by nine sacks of Faiders QB Andrew Walter. He’s the guy that “genius” Al Davis decided was worth passing on Matt Leinart for in the draft last year. Maurice Morris, subbing once again for the injured Shaun Alexander, carried the day on offense with 30 rushes for 138 yards. The game was played under dismal conditions in a driving rain throughout, which seemed to limit the ability of the offenses to generate a consistent attack. The only real highlight in the second half was a late fourth quarter scuffle on the game's final drive between Faiders DE Tyler Brayton and Seahawks TE Jerramy Stevens which resulted in Brayton delivering a leg-joint blow to Stevens’s nutsack.

Analysis – The Seahawks made a vast improvement over their defensive performance against the Chiefs, but it came at the expense of one of the worst offenses in the last two decades of the NFL. QB Andrew Walter helped the Seahawks a lot by holding the ball too long, staring down his receivers and generally doing an excellent impersonation of Michelangelo’s David. Next week against the Rams and Marc Bulger they will not be so fortunate. Morris had an excellent game, but the Seahawks still had trouble getting in the end zone. They’ll need more than 16 points to beat the Rams, no matter how well the defense plays.

The Good – Anytime your defense generates nine sacks and pitches a goose egg, you’ve done your job. Morris gaining 138 yards is promising. RT Tom Ashworth held Derrick Burgess to no sacks and no big plays. The OL was generally good enough. Seneca Wallace made some big plays when he took off running.

The Bad – Ashworth also had three false starts trying to get the jump on Burgess. Nate Burleson was as ineffective returning kicks as he has been catching passes. The Seahawks failed to score a TD despite several second half penetrations into scoring position.

The Ugly – TE Jerramy Stevens dropped an easy TD pass that would have made it 17-0 at halftime and made everyone breathe a lot easier. With C Robbie Tobek out for a play, coach Mike Holmgren called a slam running play right over the center position, even though back-up C Chris Spencer hadn’t even had time to get a sweat going. The play was stuffed for a 3-yard loss. Brilliant coach.

Zebra Report – Once again, the Zebras managed to get a couple of plays completely wrong. LB Julian Petersen was called for pass interference on a second quarter play on which he basically played perfect pass defense. A false start penalty on a bad snap from Oakland C Jake Grove negated a play that should have resulted in a Seahawks defensive touchdown. Illegal motion should have been the call, which would have left the ball alive for the Seahawks to recover. Lofa Tatupu was called for roughing the passer in the fourth quarter on a play in which he did everything by the book and delivered a completely legal blow to Walter as he released the ball.

Outlook – The defense improved a lot, but the Rams will represent a far greater challenge than the horrible Faiders did. Bulger will get rid of a lot of balls and not take as many sacks. Wallace will have to find a way to get more TD’s and fewer field goals as the Seahawks will be without Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck once again. It’s a tough challenge, even at home. Still, given all the injuries, the Seahawks are 5-3 at the halfway mark and in a position to basically put the division away this week. You can't ask for more under the circumstances.

Prediction – Rams 28, Seahawks 20

Posted By - Mike Bara

Seahawks Show What They Think of SBXL Officiating

2006-11-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

Grant Wistrom held a recent Halloween party for charity, and one of the displays showed the disdain that still flows through the Seahawks for the Super Bowl XL officiating. The display featured a mock execution of NFL ref Bill Leavy, the cheat who handed the game to the Stealers on a silver platter last February. Leavy's effigy had his pants pulled down, his flag shoved up his ass, and he was impaled on a stick.

In Seahawk Boys opinion, it was too good for the bastard.

But we have one question: why wasn't Bob Waggoner hung along with him?

More pics from the party here.

Posted by: Mike Bara

Seahawks Game Blog Week 7 Chiefs 35 Seahawks 28

2006-10-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

Shaun Alexander can’t come back soon enough. Not that he can tackle.

The Seahawks suffered their 3rd defeat of the season (and second straight) with a dismal defensive performance in a 35-28 defeat at Kansas City. The Seahawks marshmallow-soft defense allowed journeyman Chiefs QB Damon Huard to rack up a nearly effortless 312 yards passing with one TD throw. Chiefs star RB Larry Johnson shredded the soft underbelly of the Seahawks run defense for 155 yards on a team record 39 carries, a 3.9 yard average. Despite the pathetic defensive effort, the Seahawks led 28-27 late, with only 6:30 left in the game thanks to a number of Chiefs miscues. If the defense had been able to generate just one stop at that point, the Seahawks may have had a shot to hang for an undeserved victory. Instead, they allowed the Chiefs to carve up their defense on a crushing 8-play, 80-yard drive that was capped with an all too easy 2-point conversion with less than two minutes to play.

The Seahawks last gasp drive seemed to end when Chiefs DE Jared Allen intercepted a batted Seneca Wallace pass, only to have it ripped from his hands by WR Deon Branch just as the pair tumbled out of bounds. The drive ended on fourth and 15 when Wallace inexplicably dumped the ball off to FB Mack Strong way short of the first down.

Analysis – Despite the terrible play of the defense, the Seahawks still had a lead late on the road in a traditionally tough stadium to play in. You can’t ask for much beyond that in any NFL road game. In the end however, the Chiefs 2nd string QB (Huard) proved to be much better than Seahawks back-up Seneca Wallace, who wasn’t up to the task in his first NFL start. The Seahawks benefited from a couple of fluky plays (Kelly Herndon’s 61 yard fumble return on a botch Chiefs FG and a D-Jack TD when Chiefs CB Ty Law fell down) to keep them in the game.

Defense – This was probably the worst Seahawks defensive performance since the notorious 44-41 defeat at Baltimore in 2003. The Seahawks could not stop the run or the pass, as they were torn up by a much more physical Chiefs team which just overwhelmed the timid Seattle defenders. The tackling was abysmal, which only made the stat sheet look worse. Line-up changes designed to minimize big plays in the passing game failed miserably, as Huard had plenty of time to find receivers who were pretty much wide open all day. The defense seemed to take every third play completely off, allowing 499 total yards and 30 first downs.

Offense – Wallace had a decent stat line (15\30, 198 yards, 3 TD’s and 2 interceptions), but he simply couldn’t summon the big play when the team most needed it. He remains a slash\KR\3rd string QB playing 2nd string. The protection was generally good, as the Seahawks allowed only one sack. Coach Mike Holmgren mixed up the LG line-up between Chris Spencer and rookie Rob Sims, and although Sims seemed to play better Holmgren went with Spencer most of the second half. Tom Ashworth did an excellent job subbing for the suspended Sean Locklear at RT, and may have earned himself a long look at the job. FB Mack Strong looks done, as he missed a number of blitz pickups and failed to do any real damage in the running game. He may just be through at age 35. WR Deon Branch was a bright spot, making a big catch to set up a TD and making a huge play on the Allen interception to keep the Seahawks hopes alive. Darrell Jackson had a couple of drops. Overall, the offense did enough for the Seahawks to have snuck out a win, if only the defense could have made just one big stop.

Special Teams - Once again, the kick return and coverage units got outplayed.

Coaching – the only real quibble we have with Holmgren is the protection scheme on the last 4th and 15. Why was Strong even out in a safety valve pattern? He’s not going to outrun anybody to the first down marker. He should have been kept in to Wallace a chance to make a better decision with the ball (like, you know, throwing it far enough to get a first down?).

Zebra Report – No real complaints here. The rulings on the Branch reception and strip were both close, but they got the call right. The only real issue is a completely obvious 2nd quarter offsides on the Chiefs which was ignored. Instead of a makeable 3rd and 2, the Seahawks were forced to punt, and the Chiefs turned it into a field goal. How do two line judges miss something everybody in the stadium (and on TV) saw?

Outlook – The Seahawks are fortunate to have the horrible Oakland Raiders coming to town for a Sunday night match-up, but the defense is listing badly with no easy answers in sight. The defense is just not responding physically to the challenge, and they are being beaten into submission without much of a fight. There are no scheme changes that will help. This defense just needs to get its balls back. Thanks to a Rams loss to San Diego, the Seahawks remain in first place, but they have a long way to go as a team to have a prayer of winning even a single playoff game.

Prediction – Seattle 28, Oakland 23

- MB

Hochuli embarasses himself at Seahawks camp

2006-08-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

According to a post on Mike Sando's Seahawks blog this week, NFL referee Ed Hochuli visited Seahawks camp to brief the coaches on the new rules interpretations for this season. Along the way, he embarrassed himself by commenting in the abysmal Super Bowl officiating:

"The Super Bowl was one of those games where it seemed like the big calls went against Seattle. That was just fortuitous, bad fortuitous, for Seattle. That doesn't mean there were no mistakes, but it was a well-officiated game."

Hochuli is of course an NFL company man and isn't going to go against his employer publicly. But the notion that the game was "well-officiated" and it just "seemed like" calls went disproportionately against the Seahawks is laughable and an insult to the intelligence of every NFL fan who saw the cluster-fuck that was Zebra Bowl XL.

We could rehash all the reasons that Hochuli dead wrong, but why bother? As the old saying goes, "if you don't have anything nice to say..." In Hoch-a-luggi's case, it should be revised to: "If you don't have anything to say except the Baghdad Bob company line, shut the fuck up and keep your hanky in your pocket."

MB

NFL Tacitly Admits Two More Super Bowl Calls Were Wrong

2006-03-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

In several stories syndicated by the AP, NFL competition commitee chairman Rich McKay admitted that the NFL is looking to change at least two rules interpretations because of controversial calls made in Super Bowl XL. Under intense questioning from national beat writers, McKay as much as admitted that Super Bowl referee Bill Leavy did not actually see holding on at least one play where he called it. Pressed by reporters as to weather he was talking about the infamous Sean Locklear "phantom hold" that cost the Seahawks a go-ahead touchdown and caused a 14 point swing, McKay did not deny that the play was the basis for the new rule interpretation.

Under the new rules, referees will now be required to actually see an act of holding result in a take down before calling holding. While the Locklear call is the most obvious example, there were several other holding calls that wiped out big Seahawks gains after it appeared that a proper block had been executed (see Super Bowl XL Officiating - The Final Word).

McKay also cited the lack of horsecollar calls (one of the most obvious was an ignored horsecollar by the Stealers on Shaun Alexander in the Super Bowl) as a problem, and promised to tighten the rules to make the call harder to ignore. The ignored horsecollar tackle in the SuperBowl cost the Seahawks 15 yards and an automatic first down and indirectly led to a Pittsburgh interception one play later.

Although McKay contimues to insist the refs are doing a good job, his frank assements are a tacit admission that many calls were missed in the high-profile Super Bowl. This will probably not be the last attempt by the NFL to address the growing officiating problem.

What Price Abraham?

2006-03-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

If the Seahawks want to trade for Jets DE John Abraham, two questions arise:

What would he cost to obtain in a trade?

And what would he want in a contract?

To answer the second question first, if the Hawks don't match Steve Hutchinson's offer sheet from the Vikings, they should have plenty of money and cap space to throw at Abraham.

To answer the first question last, a 2nd rounder seems like a likely cost, but would you give up the Hawks #31 pick in Round 1 if that's what the Jets demanded?

SHB would.

db

Hutch Decision

2006-03-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

SHB opines that the Hawks are not in that much of a bind with Steve Hutchinson. Although Hutch is a Pro Bowl player and probably the best in the league at his position, he's still just a guard.

It seems likely that if Hutch were to go, then Pork Chop Womack or '05 No. 1 pick Chris Spencer could step in and fill the gap admirably.

$49 million is a big guarantee. For a guard.

db

Nate Burleson to replace Jurivicious?

2006-03-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Nate Bureleson, a restricted free agent, is visiting the Hawks today or tomorrow. SHB is speculating that NB would be a more-than-able replacement for JJ87. He's younger, stronger and just a bit explosive, which is not something you could say about JJ87.

SHB could see NB lining up opposite Darrell Jackson in next year's starting line up.

Beacuse he's a RFA however, the Vikes have the right to match any offer. So I say we stick it to 'em and make NB an offer old Zyggy just can't stomach.

db

Joey Harrington on the move?

2006-03-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

This seems like just the kind of player Mike Holmgren likes to pick up. Would the Hawks be interested?

db

Bernard, Warrick, Return to Hawks

2006-03-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2369788

3 Years, $13 million, 5.4 million signing bonus for Bernard. Seems like good business to me.

Warrick signed for just a million for 2006.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2369454

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Alexander's Cap Numbers

2006-03-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

Alexander's signing bonus, '06 roster bonus, '07 roster bonus, and salaries for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 add up to $28.562 million, or an average of $7,140,500 per year.

Seems like a bargain to me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2359425

db

Alexander's contract structured brilliantly for Hawk's

2006-03-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Mike Sando of the Tacoma News Tribune has published a breakdown of Shaun Alexander's new contract. It shows that while the Seahawks will pay Alexander a ton of money up front, they are well protected in the event Alexander becomes an unpolished turd.

In the first year, the Seahawks will pay Alexander $15,125,000 in salary and bonuses, with over 13,500,000 of that going to signing and roster bonuses. Because of singing bonus proration, Alexander's cap number will be only $6,500,000. In year two (2007), his cap number actually declines to $6,275,000. It spikes again in year three (2008), jumping to $7,350,000. However, because of the proration, the Seahawks would see a net cap savings of $1,600,000 if they were to cut Alexander before the season begins. Alexander's deal will certainly be redone by year four (2009) when his cap number maxes at 8,437,000 vs. a potential cap savings of $5,562,000. Unless he still scoring 28 TD's a year, he'll never see that money.

The bottom line is that this contract gives both sides what they want. Alexander can make as much as $18.5 million in his first two years, and the Seahawks can cut him after year two and still see a net cap savings. Not bad, Mr Ruskell.

2006-03-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Manuel Gone?

2006-03-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

This news report says the Packers are almost sure to sign Marquand Manuel away from the Seahawks:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=406392

This would be a blow as Manuel played very well last year and Hamlin is uncertain to return in '06, if ever.

Lawyer Malloy, anyone?

Seahawks re-sign Alexander

2006-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5384774

Eight years, with $15 million in "guarantees." It will be interesting to see just how much Shaun actually gets this year, and how much is in "roster bonuses" in future years.

A 10 Point Plan To Make Officiating Better

2006-02-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

From Fox Sports.com:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5334430

I'd add an 11th point. Shoot the zebras when they fuck up a Super Bowl.

db

Holmgren Resigns From Competition Committee

2006-02-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=citadel-2_502679_114&prov=citadel&type=story

From Yahoo.com:

Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren resigned from the NFL's Competition Committee on Friday. The Committee oversees rules and their interpretations, among other aspects of the game. Officiating is often discussed, and there is speculation that Holmgren's decision to resign is related to the officiating in Super Bowl XL, a game in which several questionable calls went against the Seahawks in Pittsburgh's 21-10 win.

The NFL’s stance all along has been that the Super Bowl, and the postseason in general, was “properly officiated”, as league spokesman Greg Aiello put it in a February 10 statement. NFL Director of Officiating Mike Pereira’s attempt to explain five calls on the NFL Network’s “Total Access” show on February 15 was hardly satisfactory to anyone who doesn’t have a Pittsburgh mailing address.

Obvously,this is Holmgren's follow-up to his refusal to shake Cowher's hand after the game. A strong statement, at least. -- MB

The Real Super Bowl MVP

2006-02-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

Referee Bill Leavy. The Quintessential Devil in these proceedings.

Seahawk Boys Rip Apart Super Bowl XL

2006-02-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

I think this says it all.

Whiners? I think Not

2006-02-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'll post it anyway. Anybody who buys this logic is just divorced from reality.

How to FIX What Was Wrong With The Super Bowl

2006-02-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

From yahoo.com

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The Seahawks REAL Opponents

2006-02-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

From the Seattle PI:

Super Bought XL

2006-02-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Some Seahawks still question officiating

2006-02-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

From the New York Daily News:

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DETROIT - Mike Holmgren just can't seem to lose a Super Bowl the easy way. There always seems to be some kind of controversial call.

Eight years ago, it was his own questionable call that blew Super Bowl XXXII for Holmgren's Green Bay Packers. On Sunday night, it was a series of questionable calls by the officials that seemed to blow Super Bowl XL for his Seattle Seahawks.

And while Holmgren was tactful about the referees after the game, biting through his lip while answering questions, some of his dejected players didn't share the same restraint.

In fact, receiver Darrell Jackson accused the officials of giving the Pittsburgh Steelers breaks usually reserved for home teams, apparently because a swarm of Steelers fans turned supposedly neutral Ford Field into a Steel City suburb. He was particularly miffed at the 16-yard touchdown pass he caught that was nullified by the officials because of what Jackson said was a phantom offensive pass interference call.

"I didn't even touch him," Jackson said. "But I guess that's how it is when you're on the road. And I guess that's how it is when you're going against the world. It just seems like all our big plays like that somehow, some way, got overturned."

DB>You speak the truth, D-Jack. And don't fret, they we ALL going to get overturned if they led to a Seahawks victory.

It was certainly understandable why Jackson felt that way, given the number of rulings that went against the Seahawks, who ended up losing, 21-10. There were so many, in fact, it was nearly impossible to figure out which one hurt the worst.

DB>Note to editor: They ALL hurt the worst. Much like using a fire hydrant to conduct a prostate exam.

The one that angered Holmgren the most was when the refs awarded Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a touchdown on his 1-yard dive near the end of the second quarter. Holmgren told the refs the ball was "not even close" to crossing the goal line. But after reviewing the replay, referee Bill Leavy told Holmgren the ball actually hit the white line - an assessment Holmgren still was contesting after the game.

DB>First, Dim Ben has admitted he didn't break the plane. Second, if the call was upheld, it should have been because it was "inconclusive" and "the play on the field stands as called", which was a Steelers touchdown. For Leavy to say the ball broke the plane is flatly a lie. There were NO REPLAYS which showed the ball crossing the goal line. Leavy is apparently TOO STUPID to realize millions of people now possess high quality digital video recorders that show him to be either completely dishonest or a moron who shouldn't be allowed to referee 8 year olds.

There was also the call on Jackson, when he was in the back of the end zone in the first quarter with Steelers safety Chris Hope and appeared to gently push off Hope to get some separation. Holmgren later said that in his opinion there wasn't enough contact for the refs to make that call.

Maybe the most damaging call, though, came in the fourth quarter with the Seahawks trailing 14-10. Tight end Jerramy Stevens finally held onto a pass from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck at the Steelers' 1-yard line, but a holding penalty called on right tackle Sean Locklear negated the play.

Later, the Seahawks said that when they saw the flag they thought it had been thrown because Steelers linebacker Clark Haggans had jumped offsides on the play.

"Garbage," Locklear said. "Bad call."

DB>Hagans actually jumped offside on two consecutive plays, one of which was the Hasselbeck interception, which should have negated that play. These were plainly visible to the naked eye on national TV, but apparently not to the six blind mice on the field.

Holmgren wasn't nearly as strong in his assessment of the officials, who called seven penalties on the Seahawks for 70 yards. "I'm just saying it's uncharacteristic of my team to have that many penalties," Holmgren said.

During the regular season, the Seahawks were the second-least penalized team in the league.

There was no call in Sunday night's game by either Holmgren or the officials that had direct impact on the outcome, just a series of calls that clearly could have changed the game. Still, not everyone in the Seattle locker room was willing to pin the loss on what a story on the Seahawks' Web site referred to as "downright unfathomable" calls.

"We're not going to blame this game on anyone but ourselves," said Seahawks defensive end Grant Wistrom. "They played better than we did. They didn't make the mistakes. They didn't take the penalties. We did."

DB>Grant, I love you, man, but wait until you see the game film.

Highlights From "The Ten Spot" at cnnsi.com

2006-02-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

Pete McEntegart

1. Pittsburgh will host a parade for the Super Bowl champion Steelers on Tuesday. Overjoyed fans can't wait to thank the event's grand marshal, referee Bill Leavy.

2. Mike Holmgren's wife and daughter spent Super Bowl Sunday as part of a medical mission in Africa. They wanted to be someplace where they would be safe from zebras.

3. An estimated 90.7 million people tuned in for Super Bowl XL, the largest audience for the game in a decade. In fact, at times it seemed that everyone in the nation was watching except the officials.

5. As usual, Bud Light presented several of the most popular Super Bowl commercials. The beer company also received an unexpected boost when it was revealed that Budweiser played a key role in the referees' pregame preparation.

10. Stat of the week: Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger posted a QB rating (22.6) lower than his age (23).

db

Top Ten WORST CALLS of the NFL Post Season

2006-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5311162

Kevin Hench - Fox Sports.com

9. Darrell Jackson's offensive pass interference

Okay, maybe by the narrowest, most picayune interpretation of the rule, you could make an argument that D-Jack pushed off. But in the real world, on a broken route, when a smaller wide receiver is hand-fighting with a much bigger safety, this exchange does not constitute offensive pass interference. You got the sense from his hesitance that the back judge had already decided on the no-call, then changed his mind once he saw the result of the play. The call negated a great adjustment by Matt Hasselbeck, who put the ball where only Jackson could catch it. And is there anything more depressing than watching dubious calls wipe out great plays?

6. Play clock, schplay clock, the sequel

When Leavy granted Ben Roethlisberger a timeout after the play clock had run down to zero late in the game, it was the final nail in the Seattle coffin. Spared the five-yard delay of game penalty, the Steelers were able to convert the first down and burn up more clock. The one-second grace period Leavy gave Roethlisberger had Al Michaels and John Madden chortling about ...

5. Play clock, schplay clock, the original

... the extra TWO SECONDS that ticked off after the play clock expired late in the Bears-Panthers game before the play that pretty much ended Chicago's season.

3. Brain-lock on Locklear

Just when it looked like the Seahawks might weather the offensive pass interference call on Jackson and a suspect holding call on a big punt return and take a fourth-quarter lead, Leavy came to the Steelers' rescue. Matt Hasselbeck had delivered a strike to Jerramy Stevens, which the nervous, footstep-hearing tight end had managed to haul in for a first-and-goal at the 1. But wait. Leavy wiped out the play by calling a holding penalty on Locklear. Replays revealed that Locklear had used a popular technique called "blocking" to keep the Steeler pass rusher off his quarterback. With yet another certain touchdown taken off the board, the Seahawks were dead.

Honorable mention: The 15-yard penalty on Matt Hasselbeck for merely tackling Ike Taylor on the subsequent interception return may have been the worst call in the entire postseason. But with so many other major officiating mistakes happening around it, it kind of got lost in the wash of yellow laundry.

db

Dim Ben Admits He didn't Get In The Endzone

2006-02-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

From Fox Sports:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5313884

Before David Letterman got to shave Ben Roethlisberger's beard Monday night, he got the Steelers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback to admit a little something that might rankle Seahawks fans even more.

Roethlisberger told Letterman that he didn't think he scored on a controversial play in the second quarter that put the Steelers ahead for good 7-3. Roethlisberger dove toward the end zone but didn't appear to get the ball to touch the goal line. But officials on the field signaled touchdown.

"I told Coach, 'I don't think I got in,'" Roethlisberger told Letterman. "But we were getting ready to go for it on fourth down anyway, and I would have run it again. So we would have found a way to get in."

The play infuriated Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and has provided Seattle fans plenty of fodder for their fury over the game's questionable calls.

Referee Bill Leavy upheld the call after a replay review, and Holmgren then upbraided Leavy on his way off the field at halftime.

Holmgren walked over to Leavy, a fifth-year referee calling his first Super Bowl, and could be seen angrily telling him, "It wasn't even close."

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Holmgren Speaks Out On Towel Flap

2006-02-07T22:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/5509834p-4965313c.html
John McGrath, Tacoma News Tribune

“Steelers towels were on sale at every souvenir stand in the stadium,” Holmgren said, noting that blue-and-green Seahawks towels were not available.
“That,” he said, “seems pretty unfair.”

Souvenir stands are something else: Either make rooting accoutrements available for fans of both teams, as Holmgren suggested, or ban such items as “Terrible Towels” altogether. The mere appearance of league-sponsored partisanship feeds the imagination of Seahawks’ conspiracy theorists.

After watching replays of Darrell Jackson’s touchdown catch – called back because of slight and incidental contact – the imagination is one hungry beast."

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USA Today Comments

2006-02-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

Ian O'Conner, USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/oconnor/2006-02-06-oconnor-xl_x.htm

"It can turn him into Bob Waggoner, back judge, reaching awfully late into his pocket to wipe out a 7-0 Seahawks lead on a ticky-tack foul that should never get called in a high-stakes game. Was Waggoner influenced by the protesting Chris Hope? By that raging yellow sea of Terrible Towels?

"I'm not in a position to comment at this time, unfortunately," Waggoner said Monday by phone."

DB>Was Waggoner, a Pittsburgh native, scoring one for the home team?

"How could the head of a Super Bowl crew tell the world that Matt Hasselbeck was guilty of an illegal block after he tackled the Steeler who had just intercepted his pass?"

DB>This call was also made by native Pittsburgher Waggoner.

"Leavy and his crew made some big mistakes Sunday, all at Seattle's expense. The lame holding call on Sean Locklear that negated a huge (and rare) Stevens catch might've prevented Holmgren from becoming the first coach to win Super Bowls for different franchises."

"Leavy could've helped matters earlier by overturning Roethlisberger's non-touchdown touchdown. But once ABC showed that Leavy likes overturning calls as much as Polamalu likes trips to the barbershop, you knew the referee wasn't really examining the replay anymore. He was actually studying a hidden-camera view of The Rolling Stones' green room, looking for evidence of illegal motion."

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Terrible Towels Sold By NFL at Ford Field

2006-02-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

"That part of it wasn't all that fair," Holmgren said. "Pittsburgh has wonderful fans ... but to sell the yellow towels on every row of the stadium, I'm sure there were a few non-Pittsburgh fans that were waving those things because they got the towel. And I didn't see too many green towels being sold. It was the first Super Bowl I have ever been involved with ... where it was that lopsided that way."

No corresponding Seahawks memorabilia was available.

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Refs made "XL" Stand for "Extra Lame"

2006-02-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/258583_miller07.html

Ted Miller, Seattle P.I.

America, please forgive Seahawks fans if they sound a little bitter and paranoid after the rest of the country got its sweet, little fairy tale with Jerome Bettis winning Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit.

It just seems a bit too tidy, considering how things went down.
Here's the rub: No intelligent person, and that includes Pittsburgh fans, watched the Steelers 21-10 "victory" and believed it was well-officiated. Period.
And every -- EVERY -- call went against the Seahawks.

Seahawks fans promise to stop being paranoid just as soon as the NFL proves it isn't out to get them.

The Seahawks, who were tied for second-fewest penalties in the NFL this year, were flagged seven times for 70 yards. Three were critical. Two were dubious. Another flag was so stupid the official explanation didn't actually make any sense.
As for head linesman Mark Hittner's oh-what-the-hell delayed touchdown call on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 1-yard touchdown dive? Think the officials want that tape taken to the FBI crime lab?

The Steelers, who were tied for sixth-fewest penalties this year, suffered just three horrible hankies for 20 yards. Two were false starts on their first possession. The third was offensive pass interference on rookie tight end Heath Miller deep in Seattle territory in the second quarter. That call will inspire no wringing of hands, even from Miller.

Thereafter, apparently, the Steelers felt guilty and decided not to break the rules for the next 35 minutes. Jerome probably wanted it that way.

Apoplectic Seahawks fans are not alone. ESPN.com's Michael Smith pointed this out Monday in a story ripping the officials: "The Seahawks lost 161 yards to penalties when you combine the penalty yards (70) and the plays the flags wiped out (91). By halftime alone, when it trailed 7-3, Seattle had had 73 hard-earned yards and a touchdown eliminated."

Let's rewind.

Matt Hasselbeck hits Darrell Jackson for a 16-yard touchdown pass for a 7-zip lead?
Nope. The incidental contact that occurs on nearly every NFL passing play was, actually, offensive interference -- at least the officials decided so after safety Chris Hope stomped and huffed and demanded a flag, perhaps insisting that Jerome wanted it that way.

Beleaguered tight end Jerramy Stevens makes a spectacular catch inside the Steelers 2-yard line setting up what surely would have been a Shaun Alexander touchdown run and 17-14 Seahawks lead early in the fourth quarter?

Nope. Seems that offensive tackle Sean Locklear's incidental hooking (which occurs on nearly every NFL play from scrimmage) on his block of Clark Haggans (who was offside) was too dastardly to ignore.

Maybe the officials were calling the game tightly.

Nope. Only two plays later, Steelers linebacker Joey Porter used an illegal "horse collar" tackle on Alexander, and the officials decided to let it slide, even though that would have transformed a third-and-18 on the Steelers 34 to a first down on their 19.

Here's the comic relief.

After the no-call on the horse collar, Hasselbeck tossed a critical interception to cornerback Ike Taylor. Hasselbeck then, apparently, forgot which team he plays for and tried to throw a block in order to spring Taylor. Only he threw a "low block," according to the game's official book.

So not only does he toss a pick and then try to block for an opposing player, but he also gets called for a 15-yard penalty.

Most folks would figure that Hasselbeck was trying to TACKLE Taylor. Seeing Hasselbeck is a quarterback lacking tackling skills, he went low. But the officials decided it was a block. Only Hasselbeck was credited with a tackle on the play.
(The official explanation is he went low on a guy trying to block him, which is against the rules on a change of possession. But the fact that he made the tackle erases, at least for a reasonable person, his potential motivation based on the result. It was a tackle.)

Like we said: Stupid.

Steelers fans should be angry, too. For one, they know how this feels, see their playoff game vs. Indianapolis, when they were the interlopers ruining the heartwarming tale.

Moreover, the execrable officiating cheapens their championship because it's what folks are talking about now, not the glory of Bettis.

Comments collected by the Seattle PI

2006-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/258540_hrail07.html

Tom Jackson, former Broncos linebacker and ESPN analyst: "...unfortunately for the Seahawks, the calls that went against them were all huge calls and as we look back now -- hindsight being 20-20 -- you saw that those calls could have gone a different way."

Tony Kornheiser, Washington Post columnist on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption": "If you were one of these people who felt that it was predestined for Pittsburgh to win, that somehow the fix was in, that with all the great stories about Jerome Bettis, and yada-yada-yada, that everybody in the NFL and everybody on the televising crew wanted Pittsburgh to win, you'd be able to wake up this morning screaming about that."

Woody Paige, ESPN's "Around the Horn": "The officials just continued the ineptness we saw throughout the playoffs. Why can't they get it right? Ben Roethlisberger, he still hasn't gotten that ball over the goal line. The offensive interference call on the Seattle touchdown, that was a ticky-tack call. Both guys were pushing a little bit."

J.A. Adande, Los Angeles Times on ESPN: "I've never seen a holding call where a guy only uses one hand. I don't even know if it's possible to hold a defender with one hand. They did call that. They were blowing things all night."

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Super Bowl Comments - Monday 2/6/06

2006-02-07T21:50:00.001-08:00

"We knew it was going to be tough playing against the Steelers. But I didn't know we were going to have to take on the guys in the striped shirts, too."

--- Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs05/columns/story?columnist=smith_michael&id=2320683

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/060205

ESPN's latest poll shows the majority of fans think the game was decided by the officials, and that the Seahawks were robbed. Talk radio fans were 3-1 saying the Seahawks were robbed.

Here are a few choice quotes from fans around the country:

"I am not a Steelers or Seahawks fan, but I have to say that this was one of the worst officiated Super Bowls I've seen in a long time. Sad to see the refs have an impact on what would have been a great game."

"Okay, I'm on the bandwagon now. That appeared to be one of the worst
officiated Super Bowls I've seen. The calls that were made were ticky
tack (on both teams), and plenty of apparent calls were missed. Professional officials. What a novel concept."

"This Super Bowl sucks. s fans, we want to see a real game. The refs are CLEARLY handing this game to the Steelers. Your scoop on Sports Illustrated already having the Steelers retrospective printed up just seals it for me. I don't know if SI is part of a conspiracy, or if they just know how the NFL operates. A Steelers win equals more revenue for the NFL, in terms of merchandise. Holmgren should've taken that into consideration when he was offered the Seattle job."

"The NFL should be embarrassed. And I am an impartial fan. I didn't care who won but I sure didn't want to see it happen that way."

"Please for the love of GOD write something about the horrible officiating in the game today. Granted I'm a little biased and wanted the 'Hawks to win but if they lost I'd been fine if the Steelers were the better team. THEY WEREN'T and we played against the officials all night. Please say something about this injustice!"

"I don't know who else I can vent on, so you're getting it. I apologize, but I don't know who else. I seriously don't. So here goes:

This Super Bowl was it. I'm done now. I'm through watching football. I've had it.

This was the worst officiated professional game I have ever watched -- the most one-sided, I mean. And it happened on the biggest game of the year. The two teams did not determine the winner of that game today; the referees did.

So I'm through. I quit on the NFL. Screw them. If that's the best they can do, I quit.

I've got other hobbies I can pursue.

Look, I am not a Seahawks fan. I was not a fan of either team.

But sonuvabitch-------Roethlisberger's PHANTOM TOUCHDOWN???? That was the hugest phantom touchdown I have seen since Vinny Testaverde pulled one of those off.

And when Hasselbeck connected with TE Jerramy Stevens to the one yard line late in the third quarter, those asshole zebras throw a holding flag -- and it was one of those borderline holding calls that could literally BE CALLED ON ALMOST EVERY DAMN PASSING PLAY.

Look, I came to watch a game, a game between football players. I didn't come to watch a crew of striped-shirted old men determine the outcome of a game.

F those guys. I'm out. The hell with football. I no longer trust it.

There was no 2005 champion. If the Steelers had won it, I'd say so. But the zebras won it, for 60 consecutive minutes. Again, I am not a Seahawks fan. I just care about the integrity of the game. I feel sick. I'm out. Maybe for good. The hell with it."

Also from Profootballtalk.com: It turns out that Sports Illustrated had pre-printed their special commemorative editions showing a Steelers win:

Kinda makes you think they knew who would win all along, doesn't it?

Mike

Pics

2006-02-07T14:19:00.000-08:00