Seahawk Addicts

New Seahawk Addicts Homepage

2019-07-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

Seahawk Addicts has moved! If your bookmark still points here, get with the times, man! Check us out at www.seahawkaddicts.com. If anything goes wrong, we will forward the site back here, fear not.

Thank you all for your support, and here's to the next step towards being the best Seahawks Community on the web!

4-3 and 3-4 Defenses, Part Four

2009-07-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

by: Matthew Heuett

Linebackers in the 3-4

Just as the 4-3’s keys to success were the savvy of its middle linebacker and the production of its defensive ends, the 3-4 relies heavily on the endurance and immovability of its nose tackle and even more on the play of its linebackers. After all, if you’re going to yank out a D-lineman to bulk up your linebacking corps, then those linebackers had better be doing some pretty special things for you.

To continue, click

The 3-4 uses two types of linebackers: inside linebackers and outside linebackers. The outside linebackers carry the same names as the two outside linebackers in the 4-3, Sam (for the LB on the strong side) and Will (for the one on the weak side), but that’s about the only thing they have in common. While 4-3 OLBs blitz only occasionally, 3-4 OLBs are the defense’s main pass rushers. One or both OLBs will rush on every down from the 5-tech (the Sam will blitz occasionally from the 7-tech as well), although sometimes they will disguise their intentions by lining up a few yards off the line of scrimmage and blitzing from there or by lining up in the 5-tech and dropping into coverage instead of blitzing.

Players who excel as 3-4 linebackers are typically what pro scouts would call “tweeners”-- a bit too small to be a 4-3 defensive end, but a bit too big to be a 4-3 outside linebacker, either. This gives them enough size to shed blockers en route to the quarterback (the Sam tends to be slightly bigger than the Will, since he has to deal with the tight end more often), but not so much that they aren’t maneuverable enough to be effective in coverage. Before the 3-4 became popular, most tweeners had a better chance of being struck by lightning than being drafted by an NFL team, which brings us to one of the hidden benefits of running a 3-4: with fewer teams competing for the players you need, it’s easier and cheaper to fill your roster with highly talented players than it is for 4-3 teams. This benefit been mitigated somewhat in recent years, now that roughly a third of the NFL runs a 3-4 base defense (and several more teams running a hybrid 3-4/4-3), but the difference is still great enough to matter come free agency and draft day.

As you might expect, Seattle doesn’t have many tweeners on its roster. Curry, whose pass-rushing skills prompted this article in the first place, is on the light end of the scale at 255 lbs (the sweet spot for tweeners is roughly 255-265 lbs), but he could still conceivably do the job. However, who would work as Seattle’s second 3-4 outside linebacker? The next heaviest linebacker is Tatupu at 242 lbs, and the best proven pass-rushing LB on the team, Hill, is even lighter at 238 lbs. When players are asked to blitz a handful of times a game, being a bit light isn’t much of an issue, but the more times they’re asked to rush the passer, the bigger a problem it becomes. The team would likely have better luck using one of its defensive ends for the position. Atkins (268 lbs), Tapp (270 lbs), Jackson (271 lbs), and Kerney (272 lbs) are heavier than ideal, but one of them could do the job if his pass coverage skills were adequate for the task, and if the team would only be using a 3-4 front a few times a game, they might not have to play in coverage at all. One of the other DEs, Brandon Miller, is exactly the right size at 259 lbs, but since he’s a long shot to make the team he isn’t a likely candidate for the job.

The inside linebackers come in two flavors: the Mike, who lines up closer to the weak side, and the Ted, who lines up closer to the strong side. These names are a bit less definite than other position designations (some 3-4 teams reverse the names, some leave the names alone but reverse the job responsibilities, some call them something else entirely like Jack or Buck or late to dinner) but in general the Ted linebacker is the one that’s most like the Mike in the 4-3. The Ted tends to be the least athletic of the four, so he isn’t a game-breaker, but he is a sure tackler, a big hitter, and a smart leader. It’s the Ted who handles the defensive audibles. By contrast, the Mike is one of the best athletes on the team -- he can stop running backs cold, he gets to the passer when he blitzes, and he’s effective in coverage. Together, the two of them make the middle of the field a scary, painful place to be for the offense.

Tatupu’s intelligence and instincts would serve him just as well at the Ted position as they do at the 4-3 Mike, but the 3-4 Mike is a harder fit. Hill is arguably the best pure athlete of all the linebackers on the team (although he might now have to hand that crown over to Curry), but while he’s great at stopping the run and rushing the passer, his coverage skills have always been a liability. The other linebackers aren’t much better choices; D.D. Lewis is good in coverage and run support, but he isn’t much of a pass-rusher, and most of the others are either one-dimensional or simply haven’t played enough for us to know how well-rounded they are. Tatupu and Curry are likely the two best fits for the Mike position, but they can’t play two positions at once -- if one of them steps in as the Mike, then who would take over for them at the Ted or Will positions?

And that right there highlights the main reason I don’t think we’ll be seeing the Seahawks utilizing a 3-4 package. If one position were only a partial fit at best I could see it being viable, but when you have question marks at not just the Mike position but also in the two most important positions in the 3-4, outside linebacker and nose tackle, then you have to seriously question the usefulness of spending precious time in training camp working on a defensive package you know will be hamstrung at best and completely broken at worst.

3-4 Strengths and Weaknesses

The lifeblood of the 3-4 is its unpredictability. On passing downs, the pass rush could be coming from the Sam, Will, and/or Mike position, and the offensive line should be so busy dealing with the those three big D-linemen that the offense will have to hold back a tight end and/or a running back to use as blockers, which means the remaining three or four eligible receivers have to contend with anywhere between five and seven defenders. On running downs, the D-linemen and their two-gap assignments make running between the tackles dicey, and the four linebackers are ready and waiting to flow in whatever direction the run is designed to go in order to take the running back down for zero or negative yards.

In practice, however, the 3-4 didn’t work quite that perfectly. While its highly mobile four linebacker scheme was effective against the run, especially against faster, more athletic backs that 4-3 defenses and its four slow defensive linemen typically struggled to contain, over time offenses began to counter with more creative blocking schemes designed to free up offensive linemen to use on the linebackers at the second level.

3-4 defenses also began to struggle against another new offensive trend. Through the late ’80s and early ’90s, teams began to shed the slower play-action oriented passing game for much speedier variants of the West Coast Offense. Against the WCO’s short drops and quick passes, 3-4 teams found that three defensive linemen simply weren’t enough to reliably collapse the pocket. This allowed the quarterback to avoid the pass rush from the outside linebackers for a few extra seconds by stepping up into the pocket, and that was all the time the QB needed to get the pass off. Unpredictable blitzes don’t matter much when none of them can get to the passer in time.

And that’s why, despite the success of the 3-4 in the ’70s and ’80s, only a handful of teams were still running it by the mid-’90s. It may be more difficult to find and keep top-level talent to run the 4-3 front, but even with average linemen it still proved better at collapsing the pocket than the 3-4.

NFL Defenses Today
-or-
How the 3-4 Got Its Groove Back

So then, if the 3-4 was game-planned into obsolescence, why are so many current teams using it as their base defense today? Well, there are two answers to that question, and the first one is named Dick LeBeau. Most of you know and revile LeBeau as the current defensive coordinator of the Steelers, but back in the late ’80s he was the defensive coordinator for the Bengals, where he was dealing with the same mounting problems as every other 3-4 DC in the league. But rather than transition over to a 4-3 front, his solution was to make the 3-4 even more unpredictable--why let the linebackers have all the fun? Why not let the safeties and cornerbacks blitz? And while we’re at it, why not really screw with the o-linemen by taking that defensive end they were getting ready to block and drop him back into coverage? And just like that, the zone blitz was born. Lebeau’s imaginative defensive schemes helped the Bengals get to the Super Bowl in ’88, but many people ignored his innovations when Cincinnati failed to stop San Francisco’s last minute drive for the win.

One of the guys who did pay attention is the second reason why the 3-4 has made a comeback in recent years, and his name is Bill Belicheck. As defensive coordinator for the Giants from ’85 to ’90, his 3-4 schemes helped New York win two Super Bowls and earned him a head coaching position in Cleveland where, for personnel reasons, he chose to run a 4-3 defense instead. However, when he took charge of the Patriots in ’00, he wasted no time in installing a 3-4 defense filled to the brim with zone blitzes.

Five Super Bowl rings later -- three for Belicheck and two for LeBeau (yes, I remember ’05, and no, I don’t want to rehash that here) -- it’s hard to argue that the addition of zone blitzes has failed to make the 3-4 relevant and competitive again. And for 4-3 teams like the Seahawks that’s a good thing, because the more teams switch over to 3-4, the easier it will be for Seattle to land the next Patrick Kerney.

~END~

If there is downtime...

2009-07-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey all, switched the nameservers, site should switch at anytime... if there is downtime, check us out here -- http://seahawkaddicts.blogspot.com, I'll update if anything goes wrong or delete this when it goes right, haha. FINGERS CROSSED!

END

O. Schmitt Pleads Guilty to Reckless Driving

2009-07-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Owen Schmitt can breathe a sigh of relief today after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving, stemming from a June 25 arrest on suspicion of DUI.

Schmitt was sentenced to 365 days in jail, but 364 of those days were suspended. The remaining one day in jail was converted to 24 hours of community service, and Schmitt will pay $2,130 in fines, fees and costs. He'll also serve two years of probation.

On the night of the arrest, the fullback known as "The Runaway Beer Truck" allegedly blew a 0.151 and a 0.161 after his Jeep was seen swerving and tailgating in Black Diamond, WA. Danny O'Neil reports that per Schmitt's lawyer, Diego Vargas, there were "issues with the accuracy and admissibility" of the Breathalyzer results. (In other words, it was either the worst equipment in the history of breath-test equipment, or this guy is the reincarnation of Johnnie Cochran.)

Either way, Schmitt got off easy on this one. I hope the league won't be too harsh on him, but at least Goodell has been distracted lately with a more high-profile player's eligibility for reinstatement. (No, I'm not going to mention it here because I honestly think I might set myself on fire and run into traffic if I have to hear another update on either Vick or BrutFarr again.)

Hopefully, Schmitt learns from this experience and realizes that even professional athletes are mortal. With the signing of Justin Griffith and the installation of a new system, I hope Schmitt will begin to shift his focus from stupidity and back onto football. His role in this offense remains to be seen, and this incident doesn't help his stock.

END

Coutu working out with a legend

2009-07-22T09:11:00.001-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Word from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (one of the best remaining newspapers around) is that Seahawks kicker and eyebrow model Brandon Coutu has been working outwith former Atlanta Falcons kicker, and NFL all-time scoring leader, Morten Andersen. Coutu, a University of Georgia alum, was arguably the best placekicker coming out in the 2008 draft, but eventually lost the starting job to Olindo Mare. In order for Coutu to see any playing time this year, it is clear that he going to need to step up his game a bit, and that is where Andersen comes in, saying:

“With all due respect to special-teams coaches, they are schematic. They are great at scheming. Not a lot of them are really good at teaching the art of kicking and what it takes. There are a lot of misconceptions and misnomers about what it takes to be a kicker. It’s very detail-oriented. It’s a high-performance business. A lot is demanded of the position.”

While Andersen ran Coutu through a number of field goal drills and gametime situations, the focus inevitably turned to kickoffs, the determining factor in 2008.

“Kickoffs are the thing right now for him,” Andersen said. “We’re trying to get more power through the kickoff, better hang time and better distance. His ball-striking on his field goals is exceptional, but in order to be a complete NFL kicker you have to both of those skill-sets. The field-goal skill-set I’m pretty confident with, and I’m adding some of the mental specific things, putting him in tough situations.

You might recall that Coutu's only knock last year was his kickoffs. It is fantastic that they are working hard on improving that skill-set. As bad as our defense was last year, Mare did everything he could to help them with field position, getting 31% of all kickoffs into the endzone -- that's in the top 5, as it usually is for him. In a league where field goal percentage is essentially random year-to-year (Mare was top 5 in 2006, worst in the league in 2007, top 5 or so in 2008), kickoffs are where a kicker can truly prove himself and earn his keep. Looking forward to seeing Coutu and his caterpillars come August 3!

END

4-3 and 3-4 Defenses, Part Three

2009-07-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

by: Matthew Heuett

4-3 Strengths and Weaknesses

To recap, the 4-3 wins by putting more players back in pass protection than older schemes without becoming weaker against the run, and then augmenting the effectiveness of its pass coverage by putting pressure on the passer by collapsing the pocket with the nose guard while the 3-tech, both defensive ends, and the occasional blitzing linebacker rush the quarterback. Having a middle linebacker who can alter the defensive scheme on the fly to better counteract the offense’s plays doesn’t hurt, either.

To continue, click

However, the success of the 4-3 depends on the pass rush to such an extent that (as we all saw last year) the rest of the defense tends to fall apart if the pressure isn’t getting to the quarterback, and that pressure depends most of all on the defensive ends. Which leads us to the scheme’s main drawback: good 4-3 defensive ends are rarer than red emeralds. There are a lot of teams out there trying to run a 4-3 but there aren’t enough Jason Taylors and Jared Allens to go around, which means that several of those 4-3 teams are trying to make it work with inferior talent manning one of the scheme’s key positions.

For me at least, that bit of information really puts Kerney’s value to the team in perspective. Yes, the guy’s been hurt a lot lately and is on the downward slope of his career, but he also has the ninth most sacks of all active players in the league. What other defensive end on the team is going to replace that level of production? Even if he’s only seventy or eighty percent of the player he once was, he’s still an upgrade over all of Seattle’s other options.

More importantly, if Kerney and his production at DE is lost for the season again, will it matter if the offense and the rest of the defense is better than its 2008 incarnation? Who will replace him after he’s used up the last few seasons left in his tank? There’s no guarantee that another pass-rushing prodigy will show up in the draft or free agency anytime soon, and even if they do, there’s no guarantee that Seattle will be in a position to draft or sign that player.

I’m not saying these things to rain on everyone’s parade -- far from it, actually. I’m just trying to emphasize the main drawback of running a 4-3 defense: a great deal of your team’s defensive success rests in your ability to sign and hold on to a particularly rare and highly sought-after type of player. For that matter, above average 3-techs and nose guards can command pretty high salaries, too (Haynesworth, anyone?). As Wade Phillips put it during an interview conducted during the NFL league meetings back in ’07,

It’s harder to find defensive linemen to play a 4-3 and pay for all of them. In this day and age where salary cap is so important, D-linemen are the highest-paid guys and to get the guys we had in Philadelphia with Reggie White and Jerome Brown and Clyde Simmons, there’s no way you could keep those guys.

Without prime talent on the defensive line, 4-3 teams are forced to augment their pass rush by blitzing linebackers on nearly every down (sound like the ’08 season of any team you know?). This means 5-6 players are being committed to the pass rush, leaving only 5-6 guys in the defensive backfield where there should be seven. No matter how you try to shift coverage to compensate, there will be more opportunities for the offense to exploit, whether through passes to zones the remaining personnel can’t cover effectively, or through draw plays that allow the running back to slide right on by those blitzers into a field that now has fewer tacklers to evade.

So, now that we’ve gotten an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3 (and how well Seattle can field the scheme with its current roster), let’s take a look at the other main base defense in the NFL.

The 3-4 Defense

The 3-4 defensive scheme is actually a bit older than the 4-3, having been developed in the 40s by college football hall of fame coach Bud Wilkinson, but it didn’t migrate over to the NFL until the '60s. Once there, it was used by some of the best teams of the era, including the ’72 and ’73 Dolphins under defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger and the ’69 Chiefs under head coach Hank Stram, but only as a changeup -- each still used the 4-3 as their base defense.

The guy that changed the perception of the 3-4 in the NFL was Chuck Fairbanks, head coach of the Patriots from ’73 to ’78. Using the 3-4 as the team’s base defense, Fairbanks took the Patriots from a perennial sub-.500 team to playoff appearances in ’76 and ’78. Other coaches took notice, and the 3-4 became the base defense of some of the best defenses in the NFL, including the Broncos’ Orange Crush defense of the late ‘70s and the Giants’ Big Blue defense that helped the team win Super Bowls in ’86 and ’90.

As we’ve seen so far, new football defenses were developed largely by pulling more defensive linemen off the line to add players to the defensive backfield, and the 3-4 is no different. It just takes the process one step farther than the 4-3:

In terms of numbers, the difference isn’t that great: three d-linemen and four linebackers for the 3-4 versus four linemen and three linebackers for the 4-3. However, in terms of how the defense operates, that shift of a single player changes things completely for the front seven (the only significant change for the defensive backs is an emphasis on more physical play, so 3-4 cornerbacks are more likely to jam receivers at the line).

Defensive Linemen in the 3-4

Now that the d-line is outnumbered five to three, their priorities have to change -- they simply don’t have enough bodies to pull off any of that one-gap, pressure-and-disruption business that is the heart and soul of the 4-3. Instead, the 3-4 defensive linemen focus on two things: occupying offensive linemen, and keeping an eye on two gaps at once. The nose tackle (basically a specialized name for a nose guard when he plays in a 3-4) lines up directly in front of the center in the 0-tech and watches both A gaps, while the two defensive ends line up nose-to-nose with the tackles (although depending on the play the DEs may line up in the 4-tech or 3-tech instead) and are responsible for the B and C gaps. The job takes bigger, heavier players who can handle plenty of double and triple teams without budging. The ideal nose tackle is close to 350 lbs (although most weigh quite a bit less -- the college ranks don’t produce many true 3-4 NTs), while the defensive ends (some teams prefer to call them defensive tackles instead of ends) weigh somewhere around 300 lbs.

3-4 defensive ends are much easier to find than their 4-3 counterparts, and indeed any of the defensive tackles on Seattle’s roster (especially the 3-techs) would probably do reasonably well manning the position. Nose tackle is a more difficult position to fill, plus it’s notorious for being one of the most physically intense and demanding jobs in football. However, if the Seahawks were only planning on running it a few times a game, the extra strain would be minimal. In any event, there are two players on the roster who might work: Brandon Mebane, who’s done an outstanding job at nose guard the past few seasons, and Colin Cole, whom the Packers tried their best to re-sign so they could plug him in as a nose tackle in their new 3-4 scheme. Red Bryant is a third possibility at nose tackle, depending on how well he does as a 4-3 nose guard.

Being a 3-4 d-lineman is not glamorous. They don’t get to make many tackles, and sacks are even rarer; players like Cortez Kennedy, who managed plenty of sacks from the nose tackle position, don’t come around very often. On top of that, if something goes awry in the 3-4, most of the time it’s because one of the three d-linemen missed a gap or let one of the o-linemen get loose. Still, it’s their hard work and sacrifice in the trenches that makes the linebackers’ jobs possible.

Tomorrow in part four we’ll take a look at how linebackers are used in the 3-4, examine the strengths and weaknesses of the 3-4 scheme, and finish off with a look at how and why the 4-3 and 3-4 are able to coexist in the modern NFL.

~END~

An Announcement...

2009-07-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey there faithful Addicts,

Just wanted to let you know that we've got some big news to share with you: over the past month or two I have been working on some big changes to the site. Sometime in the next 48 hours (I'm leaning towards next 15 hours, but I've got a fair amount to finish up), Seahawk Addicts will have a new look and feel. While I'm very tempted to give a sneak preview, I think that the best thing would be to hold off until the new site officially launches either tomorrow or Thursday morning.

The site will look better and more professional, but it won't do so at the expense of the usability or underlying performance of the site. (For those who have been wondering why we've been posting a little less frequently lately, it's because I've been dedicating about 2-4 hours a day to this project for the last month or so.)

There will be a fuller explanation upon launch of the site, but I hope you guys are excited for it. Also, you should add us on Facebook if you haven't already done so, as those guys got advance warning of the launch... you know you want to be on the inside track too!

END

Seahawks + Gambling = Addiction Surplus

2009-07-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

The Washington State Lottery will make an announcement today revealing the nation's first "professional football scratch ticket," Seahawks Winning Play Scratch. The tickets are expected to be available immediately. Top prize is $50,000, and other prizes include a "dream trip," all expenses paid to Miami for the Super Bowl. Eric Williams has the scoop:

The Seahawks already had a business partnership with the state lottery in place, allowing the state agency to advertise at venues like West Field, so the deal is seen as the next step in the partnership between the two sides, said league spokesman Brian McCarthy.

END

First Year Coaches - Singletary

2009-07-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Michael Lombardi over at the National Football Post has a nice write-up on first year coaches, focusing his aim on Mike Singletary. Now, if you've been reading for awhile you know that I love Singletary; I think his pants-dropping Vernon-kick-off-fielding hijinx are exactly what the undisciplined 49ers needed last year. Singletary was an incredible player with an incredible sense of what football is and should be, play in and play out. At one point, I advocated for the firing of Nolan and his replacement with... Mike Martz. Then I was hoping Singletary would be pissed and take our Defensive Coordinator job. Well, that didn't happen, and I'm happy with Gus Bradley, but it does shed some light on my thoughts about Singletary.

Lombardi discusses one of the problems with Superstar athletes: they make crappy coaches. In general, most superstars are intrinsically blessed, he argues, and the amazing things they do don't come through hard work -- though they do work hard of course. They come from talent. And when another player doesn't have that talent, they can get impatient with them, 'Why can't you catch the flippin' ball!?" So what about Singletary? Lombardi:

Mike had a superstar career, but his drive and his work habits were that of a plodder. Singletary made himself a great player through his preparation, his work habits and his determination -- the same qualities that are needed to make a successful head coach.

The bulk of the article continues discussing the surprises that come and the adjustments that are needed, and so forth. It's actually a very interesting article, and continues to go back to Singletary to show the examples. Gotta love literary devices! Here's some more to take you into the sunset:

Since Singletary does not call plays on either side of the ball, he must understand both sides of the ball in terms of game planning. He must know the personnel on each side of the ball, its strengths and weaknesses, without having to glance down at the depth chart. (This is a pet peeve of mine. When I watched pregame warm ups, I would always look to see if the opposing GM or personnel director had a flip card for the game in his hands. If he did, I knew he hadn’t watched much tape on our team; if he had, there would be no need for him to carry a depth chart. The numbers on the backs of players’ jerseys would have been all he needed.)

What do you guys think Mora's biggest challenge will be this year?

END

4-3 and 3-4 Defenses, Part Two

2009-07-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

by: Matthew Heuett

Defensive Ends in the 4-3

The defensive ends both line up in similar positions (on the outside shoulders of the tackles in the 5-tech), and both are primarily pass-rushing positions, but not many people know that the two DE positions require somewhat different players. But before we get to that, it helps to keep in mind that the right defensive end lines up across from the left tackle, while the left defensive end lines up across from the right tackle. A bit confusing, I know, but those left and right labels depend largely on whether you’re looking at things in the same direction as the offense or the defense.

The right defensive end, lining up as he does on the weak side, gets a steady diet of one-on-one matchups. Unfortunately for him, those matchups come against the left tackle, who is typically the best offensive lineman on the team since he has to protect the quarterback’s blindside. To compensate, the right DE is generally the fastest player on the d-line, combining a quick first step with enough moves and savvy to get around the left tackle to pressure or sack the quarterback.

To continue, click

Daryl Tapp is fast and athletic enough to be a good right DE in the 4-3, but he tends to run hot and cold. If he’s going to earn the starting job then he needs to produce on a more consistent basis. Lawrence Jackson will be his main competition for starting right DE, but he too needs to step up his production, as the measly two sacks he managed in his fourteen starts in ’08 just isn’t going to cut it (in his defense, ’08 was his rookie season, and DEs don’t typically put up big numbers their first year in the league). In a recent article by Clare Farnsworth for Seahawks.com, the other d-linemen listed for the right DE position are Nick Reed, who seems to be fast enough for the job, but very light at 247 lbs (4-3 DEs are typically 260-290 lbs), and Cory Redding, who seems like an odd choice for the speed-intensive position. Granted, Redding did start his NFL career as a 4-3 DE for the Lions, but that was at left defensive end, not right. Who knows, perhaps it’s just a typo on Farnsworth’s part, or maybe the Seahawks’ coaches know something about Redding that we don’t -- we’ll just have to wait and see how things shake out in training camp.

The left defensive end lines up on the strong side, so he needs to be a bit bigger and stouter than the right defensive end. Even so, the left defensive end almost always registers far more sacks than the faster, more explosive right defensive end. Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? I’d explain, but John Morgan over at Field Gulls beat me to it with a post he wrote last year on the same subject:

Traditionally, the left defensive end is the stouter, less pass rush-oriented compliment to the explosive right defensive end. Despite that, left defensive ends like Patrick Kerney, Julius Peppers, Jared Allen and Aaron Kampman are consistently among the top sack producers in the NFL. Some of that might be a simple, meaningless confluence of talent at the right defensive end position, not indicative of any larger trend. But some it might also be explained by the changing nature of the tight end position in the modern NFL.

. . . .

Back in the days of the Flying V, the tight end was little more than an extension of the offensive line. Blocking has stayed an essential duty of the tight end until recently. More and more “tight ends” do not play the tight end position. Players like Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates are as much slot receivers as tight ends. Despite a de-emphasis on blocking by tight ends, most teams still put their inferior pass blocking offensive tackle on the right side. Therefore, left defensive ends typically face inferior competition.

So, there you have it: the right defensive end is faster but has to face elite left tackles, while the left defensive end faces less-talented right tackles and tight ends who are more like receivers than blockers these days. Patrick Kerney is the clear-cut starter at right defensive end, and hopefully he can return to the same level of production he had for Seattle in ’07. We’d better hope so, because the backups listed for the position in Farnsworth’s article are Baraka Atkins, a third-year player who is decent in run and pass defense but hasn’t shown much in the way of pass rush skills, and Brandon Miller and Michael Bennett, both of whom are more likely to be practice squad prospects than serious contenders for the active roster. Unless either one of the latter is a Strahan in the rough, I would expect to see someone on the right DE depth chart moved over to fill the position before either Miller or Bennett got the nod.

Linebackers in the 4-3

Linebackers in the 4-3 come in three flavors: the middle linebacker (also known as the Mike linebacker), the strong-side (or Sam) linebacker, and the weak-side (or Will) linebacker. Let’s start with the middle linebacker, since it’s one of the main innovations of the 4-3. Along with assisting the d-line with some bone-crushing, run-stuffing tackles, the Mike linebacker is the quarterback of the defense, altering everything from individual defensive player assignments to coverage schemes on the fly to adapt to the offense’s game plan. Combine those traits with the pass coverage responsibilities that later became a part of the position with the development of the Tampa-2 and you’re looking for a player with a rare combination of power, athleticism, leadership, above-average football instincts, and a willingness to spend hours upon hours studying film.

Luckily, Seattle already found just such a player in the ’05 draft: Lofa Tatupu. His main backup last year (actually, he was the main backup for every linebacker position) was D.D. Lewis, who may not be as good a Mike as Tatupu but still did a serviceable job in his week nine start versus the Eagles (of his seven tackles, three were for zero or negative yardage, one was after a 3 yard gain, and three were after 5-6 yard gains). Second-year man David Hawthorne is listed on the depth chart as a Mike, but while he’s shown the physical tools to be a good linebacker in the NFL we simply haven’t seen enough of his play to know if he has the instincts and discipline to lead the defense effectively.

The strong-side linebacker usually lines up either behind the line of scrimmage somewhere opposite the tight end or directly on the line of scrimmage in the 7-tech. His main job is to make life miserable for the tight end, whether that means wrestling through the TE’s block to tackle the running back or swatting down any pass he tries to catch. However, since the position focuses more on stoutness, hitting and strength over speed and ball skills, the Sam linebacker tends to be the weakest of the three LBs in pass coverage. For this reason, the Sam is almost always the linebacker that gets replaced by an extra defensive back in nickel packages. A slot receiver can pose a difficult challenge to the Sam, especially if the Mike is too busy elsewhere to help him out in coverage, but his ability to intimidate receivers with punishing tackles helps even the odds somewhat. The Sam is used in blitzes periodically, but not as often as the Will or Mike linebackers.

Leroy Hill is a prime example of the archetypal strong-side linebacker: strong, tough to block, and loves to leave an imprint of his facemask on the chests of anyone who tries to carry or catch a ball in his vicinity. Unfortunately, he also fits the mold with his deficiencies in pass coverage (in particular, he has a tendency to bite on routes designed to lure him away from his zone of responsibility), but he balances that with an above-average ability to wreak havoc in blitzes (7.5 sacks in blitzes off the strong side in ’05). More concerning is his durability, as he’s missed several games due to injury over the last few years, including the last four games of the ’08 season.

Hill’s backup D.D. Lewis performed admirably when called upon (he was the starting Sam in Seattle before Hill took the job from him, after all), but he has durability concerns, too--he spent most of the ’04 and ’06 seasons on injured reserve, and last year he missed the last two games of the season. Lance Laury is listed on the depth chart as a Sam, but when both Hill and Lewis were out in weeks 16 and 17 last year, the team opted to start Will Herring over Laury despite Herring being more of a weak-side linebacker. Read into that what you will.

The weak-side linebacker typically lines up in the backfield behind the right defensive end and the 3-tech. His job is more coverage-oriented than the other two linebackers, so Wills usually have the best ball skills of the three and tend to be lighter and faster than the Mike or Sam. Along with covering outlet receivers in the flat and slot receivers in the weak-side middle, sniffing out screen passes, and taking down running backs on runs to the weak side, the weak-side linebacker also blitzes far more often than the Mike or Sam. Why? Well, partly because of the Will’s greater speed, and partly because the o-linemen on his side of the field should be too busy dealing with the right defensive end and the 3-tech to block him. Even if he doesn’t get the sack, a Will who continually puts pressure on the quarterback forces the offense to commit another player to block him, either with a tight end on the line or a running back to play bodyguard in the backfield, hopefully leaving one less potential ball carrier for the rest of the defense to worry about.

The starting Will linebacker for the ’09 season will be Aaron Curry. His play in college proved he has the speed and coverage skills necessary for the position, and his ability to rush the passer (based on reports from the OTAs) completes the package. His potential is exciting, but right now it’s just that: potential. Curry needs to be able to produce in regular season NFL games, and hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to see him do just that. D.D. Lewis was the main backup for the Will position last year (hell, at this point it might be faster to point out who Lewis wasn’t backing up last year), although I’m not sure if he’s ever played the position. However, if his career stats are anything to judge by (one sack in seven seasons) then it doesn’t appear that Lewis excels at rushing the passer. The other two potential backups for the Will linebacker are Will Herring, who has shown excellent speed and coverage skills in his limited opportunities on the field (remember, he did play safety for most of his college career), and Dave Philistin, an undrafted rookie free agent who is competing for a practice squad berth.

Okay, that’s enough for one day. Tomorrow in part three we’ll look at the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3, introduce the 3-4 defense, and examine how defensive ends and tackles are used in the 3-4. Also, I hope you’ve all been taking notes, ‘cause there will be a test on this later (sorry, teacher humor).

~END~

Link for Housh on ESPN Radio

2009-07-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Updating a previous item, you can hear TJ Housh on ESPN Radio with Colin Cowherd here.

I'll let the link do the talking, but Housh mentioned he's boycotting Madden NFL 2010 due to low player ratings on his part. Prove 'em wrong this year, Housh, prove 'em wrong.

[Chris' note: Uh, he's the sixth best NFC WR in the game. What more does he want? A 91 is huge in Madden 2010, where they intentionally spread the points out way more to set superstars apart. Just sayin.]

END

Preseason Preview -- Mansfield Wrotto

2009-07-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

When Mansfield Wrotto was drafted a couple years ago, few Seahawk fans knew a whole lot about him. Two years later and that's pretty much still true. Though Wrotto did get a few starts last year (and successful ones at that), he still is thought of primarily as depth on the line with few making the argument that he is going to be starting any time soon. While that may be true, he is a lot closer than many are giving him credit for, which is why he is our first Player To Watch this preseason.

Wrotto comes from Georgia Tech where he spent his first three years starting as a defensive tackle, then moved back to his high school position on the offensive line. Wrotto has an excellent nasty streak, is very aggressive, and has good anticipation of what the defender is about to do. While he played Tackle primarily in his one year at college, he was a guard in high school and knows that position best. He has been thought of exclusively as a guard by the Seahawks. While he's not the most athletic lineman, his feet are sufficient and his strength is good. Wrotto's talent lies primarily in his leverage and anticipation.

In his four starts (seven games total), Wrotto did not give up a sack. He had one false start penalty and three holding penalties. If he can work on his discipline and technique a bit this year, he should quickly move himself into the second depth position at right guard, though that largely depends on how Seattle views Ray Willis.

A number of people have commented about how Wrotto is probably our best suited lineman for the zone blocking system. Whether he's the top of the list or not, it does seem like a good fit. Technique, discipline and good feet are the keys to a lineman's success in the ZBS, and Wrotto has those three things in spades. Knowing intimately how a defensive tackle thinks and attacks should serve him well in forcing the tackles to the part of the field that he wants them. Expect the Seahawks to implement a lot of counter runs and, if in the mix, you can expect Wrotto to be leading the charge and directing the DTs away from the play.

Will Wrotto be a starter? Probably not this year. He will, however, make the cut, and with Spencer and Sims both being UFAs at year-end (barring labor dispute issues), Wrotto is the future of the guard position in Seattle. Might as well start watching now.

Big Walt Talks 2009 and "Whatever's Next"

2009-07-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

After the dust settled from the tornado of suck that was last season, there were a lot of questions that remained.

Some of these questions were as uncertain as the times we live in, while others were answered the minute Jim Mora began speaking at his first press conference with the team.

One of these questions remains, however -- and that is the health of perennial left tackle Walter Jones.

Jones recently spoke with John Clayton on KIRO 710 AM, and scout.com's Scott Eklund has the writeup here. Mostly, Jones talked about his recovery from microfracture surgery and how his affected knee is recovering, but he also touched on a few areas on which we haven't heard him speak much.

"Once I got to 10 years I said I was going to take it one year at a time and I think that’s helped me out by just being ready for that one year," Jones said. "I just pray that I can get through this season and be healthy and then I can sit down and make a good decision saying ‘do I want my body to go through this again?’. Every year I make that decision because it’s a tough season and what I went through last year was even tougher so you still have to sit down and weigh your options."

Big Walt also talks about how his potential successors are panning out going into training camp. He says Sean Locklear, Rob Sims and Ray Willis are ready to play at a high level, because they've had the experience and the cohesion as a unit to really play at a high level this year. I still question Sims' ability to stay healthy and show competence on the field, but maybe with the addition of upstart linemen, he'll step up his game a notch. Or he'll sprain something and get cut before Week 1. Either way, he needs to show a lot more than he has. I'm excited to see what Unger can do, both at guard and center, and I sincerely hope Jones is onto something about Sims and Locklear. Strangely, the least of my concerns is Ray Willis, as I think he's shown the best overall skill level of the three veterans mentioned here.

But what Jones ultimately gets at in this interview, it seems, is his future. Many have speculated that Jones could fizzle out this year and be supplanted immediately by a protege (Locklear), but if he comes back healthy, the sky really is the limit -- especially with a new zone-blocking scheme being installed.

"It’s a lot different than what we used to do with coach Holmgren, but I still think we have to be accountable for what we do out there, but everybody is protecting everybody, Jones noted. "The backs are reading two blocks and once those guys make the decision where to go and they go, then that should make things easier for us."

There may still be many questions that will linger until a few weeks into the season, but one thing is certain: Walter Jones' mind is still right where it should be. It's up to his body to follow suit.

END

Housh on Cowherd at 10 am

2009-07-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey all, just a heads up (thanks 12th Man in AZ!) that Housh will be on The Herd with Colin Cowherd at 10 am this morning. You can get that online or on the radio, 710 ESPN. Enjoy!

Update: Did any of you listen? I was stuck in a meeting. Comment below!

END

4-3 and 3-4 Defenses, Part One

2009-07-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

by: Matthew Heuett

[Note: I'm getting married on the 25th, so I will be gone from the 21st through the 31st. If I've set things up correctly, parts one through four of this article will be automatically posted each morning.]

One of the more intriguing bits of information to come out of the Seahawks’ recently concluded OTAs was that Aaron Curry was getting plenty of practice in pass rush drills. Speculation about what this could mean for Curry’s role in the defense only intensified when (as Mike Parker reported here) Curry said in an interview with KJR’s Mitch Levy that he “plays linebacker and defensive end.” Given the glut of defensive ends on the roster, many of us began to wonder if this could mean the team was thinking about using Curry not just as a blitzer in the Seahawks’ base 4-3 defense, but also as a pass-rushing outside linebacker in a potential 3-4 alignment package. (Chris Sullivan was kind enough to start the conversation on the possibility of a 3-4 being used in Seattle here.)

But in order to properly evaluate that, we need to understand not just the differences in how personnel are used in the 4-3 and 3-4 defensive schemes, but also what the benefits and drawbacks of each are along with how well Seattle’s roster fits the specific needs of both schemes. Besides, we’re currently stuck in the offseason doldrums anyway, so I figured this was as good a time as any to do another explanatory article (for those who missed it, you can read my previous article explaining the wide receiver positions here).

My original plan was to do all this in one article, but by the time I was done it was so long that I decided to split it up into four installments (I suppose I could have trimmed the length down some, but I’d rather not cheat you guys on information). Today we’ll focus on some defensive scheme history, introduce the 4-3 defense, and take a look at defensive tackles in the 4-3. In part two on Tuesday we’ll examine defensive ends and linebackers in the 4-3. In part three on Wednesday we’ll look at the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-3, introduce the 3-4 defense, and look at how defensive ends and tackles are used in the 3-4. And in part four on Thursday we’ll finish off by looking at linebackers in the 3-4, the strengths and weaknesses of the 3-4 defense, and look at how and why the 4-3 and 3-4 are able to coexist in the modern NFL.

To continue, click

It’s History Lesson Time, Hooray!

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a much easier time grasping concepts when I know how things got to the way they are today, so let’s start with a bit of history so we can see how the 3-4 and 4-3 developed. Back in the early days of football everything was focused on the running game, and for good reason -- forward passes weren’t legal until 1906, and until 1934 the balls used were much rounder, making them harder to throw accurately. As a result, defenses were relatively simple, with nearly every team using the 7-box scheme:

As you can see, the defense used the same personnel as the offense (players went both ways back then). The tackles and ends were the key positions in the 7-box; the ends protected against runs to the outside, and while they did that the tackle had to slide over and stonewall another blocker without letting the offense open up a running lane between him and the guard. The fullback and quarterback worked as linebackers, and the tailback and wingback were used as defensive backs. On those rare occasions when a passing play was called, the quarterback would drop back into deep coverage to work as a safety.

After the shape of the ball changed, the forward pass became a more viable option. As passers like Arnie Herber and Sammy Baugh and receivers like Wayne Millner and Don Hutson began to rack up wins through the air, defenses adapted by switching from the 7-box to a 6-2 alignment:

The only real difference here is that the center now played linebacker instead of defensive lineman, allowing the quarterback to stay in the backfield as a safety. And aside from a few new wrinkles (like double and triple coverage to deal with guys like Hutson and using linebackers to run blitz between the tackles), the 6-2 was run exactly the same way as the 7-box.

The 4-3 Defense

Over the next few decades the passing game continued to gain popularity, so defenses (most notably the Giants in the 1950s under defensive coordinator Tom Landry) adapted once again by replacing two more defensive linemen with a second safety and a brand new type of player, the middle linebacker. And just like that, the 4-3 was born:

With four defensive backs standard now, the coverage schemes and tactics we all know and love (zone, man-to-man, cover-2, quarters, etc.) began to develop over time. However, the assignments and responsibilities of the cornerbacks and safeties in the 4-3 and 3-4 defenses are virtually identical, so we won’t be discussing the DBs much from here on out.

The first major strength of the 4-3 lies in the specialized duties of the defensive linemen -- when all four men do their jobs, they’re more than a match for five offensive linemen (plus a tight end or two from time to time). In order to get a better understanding of what these guys do, here’s a diagram labeling the different gaps and position assignments:

The numbers indicate the basic positions where a d-lineman will typically line up before the snap and are referred to as techniques. The spaces between the offensive linemen (i.e. the lanes through which a running back might carry the ball or a linebacker might blitz to get to the passer) are labeled by letter and are called gaps.

As long as we’re on the subject of terminology here, the right side of the line, which is where the tight end usually lines up, is called the strong side, and the left side of the line is called the weak side. If the tight end were to line up on the other side, those names would be reversed. Whether a player lines up against the strong or weak side of the line also affects the personnel requirements for those positions in the 4-3, as we’ll see when we get to the defensive ends and linebackers.

Defensive Tackles in the 4-3

The first defensive tackle is called the nose guard and usually lines up on the center’s right shoulder in the 1-technique position, although depending on where a play is expected to go, he might shift over to the center’s other shoulder. Since the d-line is outnumbered five to four, it’s the job of the nose guard to even the odds by forcing the center and right guard to double team him, thus leaving the other three defensive linemen in one-on-one matchups. He also clogs up one or both A gaps to deny the offense any opportunity to run there and is close enough to slant over to clog the B gap between the right guard and tackle if the running back tries to get through there.

In order to do the job properly, the nose guard has to be big (as in 6’1”+, 315-350 lbs) as well as strong enough to not only stand his ground against two 300+ lbs linemen but also shove them backwards to collapse the pocket on a regular basis. Last year’s starting nose guard Brandon Mebane (6’1”, 315 lbs) and the probable starter for the ’09 season Colin Cole (6’1”, 330 lbs) are the prototypical size for the position, as is backup nose guard Red Bryant (6’4”, 318 lbs). However, size alone isn’t exactly a hard and fast indicator of whether a player can man the position. Chuck Darby did a fine job as Seattle’s nose guard in ’05 and ’06 despite only measuring 6’0” and weighing 297 lbs, which is closer to the size you’d expect to see in the other DT position. The third player who appears to be practicing at nose guard is Kevin Brown, a 6’2”, 303 lbs practice squad player from last year, but most likely he’ll end up on the practice squad for another season.

The second defensive tackle lines up on the outside shoulder of the left guard in the 3-technique, which is why the DTs that specialize in playing the position are called 3-techs. Simple, is it not? Their job is pretty simple, too: shoot through the B gap and disrupt things in the backfield, whether that means sacking the quarterback on passing downs or taking down the running back for a loss on running downs. The idea is that the center and left tackle will be so busy dealing with the nose guard and right defensive end, respectively, that the 3-tech will constantly face one-on-one matchups against the left guard, increasing the possibility that he’ll be able to break through into the backfield.

Because the position requires much less in the way of standing firm and stonewalling o-linemen, the 3-tech favors a lighter (say, 290-310 lbs), more athletic player with an explosive first step. Departed starter Rocky Bernard (308 lbs) and perennial backup Craig Terrill (295 lbs) both fit the mold in terms of size and speed (well, Bernard did until groin injuries slowed him down last season). Mebane is a touch heavier than the prototypical 3-tech, but his 5.5 sacks last year -- a much more impressive stat when you consider the nose guard position he played doesn’t generally rush the passer -- proves that he has the speed and power necessary to get into the backfield and do some damage.

And that’s it for today. I'd like to give a big thanks to HickokSports.com for helping me fill in some details on the 6-2 and 7-Box schemes (info on early football strategy is hard to find, and doubly so for defensive strategies). Tomorrow in part two we’ll look at defensive ends and linebackers in the 4-3.

~END~

Community Milestone!

2009-07-19T18:23:00.001-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Well, I always knew you guys were amazing, but I finally looked at the numbers. In the three iterations of our comments, the thousands of Seahawk Addicts out there have commented a lot. A whole lot.

In fact, on Friday, you guys broke a milestone -- 40,000 comments. WOW. That's in 534 days of this blog existing. That's in 2,554 posts. That, my friends, is the definition of ADDICTION. (For you stat nerds, that's 75 comments per day, every day, or 15 comments per post.) I just wanted to thank you all for keeping this great community going, even in the dreariness of the offseason. I also want to thank Michael Steffes for creating this site and trusting my blogging hands with it when he retired for life, liberty and the pursuit of golfiness.

So, again, thank you guys for reading out there and for helping us to get better each month. I've been working very hard the last couple of weeks to bring some much needed changes to the site and I think we're about a week away on that. I think you're going to like it, the few sneak previews I've shared with the other writers have all found it to be a big upgrade.

You guys kick ass and help make this an incredibly fun thing to do. Without the community and the comments, I can promise that all of us would have given up on this pursuit a LONG time ago. We're about two weeks away from life getting good again... I think we can, I think we can, I think we can.......

END

Did Holmgren Mail It In Last Season?

2009-07-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

by: William P. Tomisser

According to Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio, Holmgren mailed it in as the Seahawks skidded to a 4-12 season. Mike Sando comments on the allegations here.

Said Cowherd on Holmgren:

"A source told me late, like Week 13 or Week 14 in the NFL season, a source that does not want to be identified on this network, that Mike Holmgren had essentially mailed it in. Very little energy, looking forward to retirement.
Putting in 9-5 hours. Bill Belichick is going 5-9 p.m. There was very little
cohesiveness. He was on his way out before Jim Mora took the job over. And it was sort of a un-energized last year in Seattle. Not that he mailed it in by
your standards or my standards, but by NFL standards, 17 hours a day, Holmgren wasn't there emotionally."

Did any of you Addicts feel that Holmgren had lost the fire later in the year when it became apparent that he wasn't going to be able to salvage the season? In your eyes, did Holmgren give up and just play out the rest of the season?

Another point that Sando brings up is that Holmgren was a teacher and much more interested in teaching new players his system than trying to tailor his system to the specific talents of his players. Sando suggests that as the reason it took Holmgren so long to get it going in Seattle. He needed to get players who could play his system on board and trained and it took him a number of years to do that. Says Sando:

"Holmgren was much more concerned about teaching his system than adjusting his system for the upcoming opponents. I thought this hurt the Seahawks during Holmgren's first few years with the team, before the talent level was sufficient to make that system work."

It was pretty obvious to everyone that Holmgren was worn out by the end of last season. You could see it on his face and that haggard look just didn't go away during the last few games. For a coach who had known great success wherever he went and in Seattle particularly, that must have been a huge weight to bear. It was supposed to be his swan song but it became his death march instead as far as coaching went. It would have been an almost superhuman effort to continue to push himself as hard as he could under those circumstances.

The question remains. Did Holmgren mail it in early last season when he saw that the season was lost? Sando concludes his piece with this thought:

"The last thing to remember is that the 4-12 season definitely wore on Holmgren. It wore on everyone. By the end, he didn't have a whole lot left. It was probably the most draining year of his career from a football standpoint. I'm sure that affected his energy levels during the season. Throw in his lame-duck status and I'm sure he wasn't as effective as he'd been in the past. I would not necessarily call that mailing it in."

So I'd like to hear from you Addicts. Did Holmgren mail it in last season as Cowherd suggests? Or did he just wear out and have an all too human letdown?

Hasta,

BillT

END

Wallace still wants to start

2009-07-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

A "team report" on Fox Sports starts off with a little look at Seneca Wallace.

"You always have to have confidence that you can come in and be the starter on any team," Wallace said. "I always feel that way. I'm adamant about it. And I'm going to keep working to improve each day, and hopefully something happens."

They also discuss briefly Seneca's possible roles elsewhere on the offense. Check it out.

END

The 3-3 Defense

2009-07-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Last week, Eric Williams put together an awesome summary of the 3-3 Defense, a look that Gus Bradley has suggested the Seahawks would be sliding into from time to time throughout 2009 (amongst other looks including, most likely, a 3-4 -- so ha!).

Williams links this article, which is invaluable in understanding the concepts behind the 3-3. Basically, the 3-3 defense is a nickel defense (five defensive backs on the field). In the past, when the Hawks have dropped into the nickel, you would see one of the linebackers trot off the field and Josh Wilson or Jordan Babineaux take his place. Would you trade Aaron Curry or Leroy Hill for them? The 3-3 allows you to keep all three linebackers on the field and relies on the ambiguity of the formation to confuse the offense and get to the quarterback as often as possible. It also gives a defense the option of getting as few as three or as many as eight men in on the rush.

The 3-3 is not an every down formation, but it has some good applications (shown in this anatomy of the play, for example). Like other nickel packages, the 3-3 will come into play on passing downs -- 3rd and 4th and long, potentially some 2nd and longs. If you check out that video link, you'll see it also can be effective as a goal line defense.

What do you guys think of the 3-3? What other defensive packages would you like to see the Hawks slide into from time to time?

END

How bad were injuries in 2008?

2009-07-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

It's no secret that Seahawks fans have been complaining about the severity of the injury bug that hit the team last year. It's also no secret that everyone and their mother has been calling us a bunch of whiners. Well, how much did injuries really affect us?

I could do all sorts of research and statistical analysis, but relatively speaking, I'm an idiot. Let's leave the heavy lifting to the always excellent Football Outsiders. One of the measures that the stat-heads over there cover and follow is "AGL" -- adjusted games lost (due to injury). How did the Seahawks stack up in 2008?

We use Adjusted Games Lost to track how badly each team was hurt by injury in any given season, then break it down by offense and defense. We currently have this data going back to 1996, and no offense during that span can touch the 2008 Seahawks, whose starters had 66.3 AGL. No other team has more than 60 AGL from offensive starters; last year’s Bengals come close at 59.8. More than half the teams in that time span came in under 20. Seattle stands well ahead of the curve here

So, not only did it affect us obviously, our offensive injuries were the worst since at least 1996. It wasn't just that we had a ton of injuries -- which we did -- but it was who we lost to injury. I believe Jacksonville and New England both had more injuries than us, but they didn't lose their whole receiving corps, quarterback and offensive line in the same year.

What does this all mean? It means that we're right -- injuries played a HUGE role in us sucking last year. Now lets all agree to be satisfied with that and keep our mouths shut when talking to other fans -- fine, the Hawks sucked last year, fine, New England played well even with injuries, fine, the Cardinals were the greatest team in the history of the world last year. Whatever. It's 2009 now, and it's time for THIS Seahawks squad to re-assert themselves. Let the haters hate, in other words. GO HAWKS!!!

[Data from the Pro Football Almanac 2009 -- buy it here]
END

Is Mebane up to the task?

2009-07-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

If you've been reading the blog for awhile, it's no secret to you that Brandon Mebane is among my favorite players in the league. While he's not the perfect DT yet, the strides he has made since being thrust into the starting role in his rookie season have been substantial. In 2008, Mebane played in the nose tackle role and was very effective at gobbling up two blockers while also leading the team in sacks. Mike Clark, Seahawks strength and condition coach, spoke with Brock and Salk yesterday (audio link, check in at about the mid-way point), and singled out Mebane as needing to be "kidnapped" to get him out of the workout room.

It seems that Mebane is slimming down a hair and getting much stronger in anticipation of his role at three-technique tackle. Mebane has been strong but his main strength is his quick first step. He's very explosive and if he's left one on one there are very few guards that are going to be able to stop him consistently. Much of his 2009 success will be tied up in the Colin Cole experiment -- if Cole can consistently take on two blockers, he's going to leave Mebane free to disrupt the backfield.

Sando, another Mebane believer, points out that "[t]he team has turned him into more of an up-the-field defensive tackle. That should give him an opportunity to get more sacks as the Seahawks implement more of the Tampa principles that helped free up Warren Sapp." Now, it's a bit early to be comparing Brandon Mebane to Warren Sapp, but it's not such a far stretch. Mebane, unlike Sapp, was underutilized in college and was still a star on a Pac 10 team.

One of the keys of the 2009 season is going to be the play of the defensive line. In 2008, the line was nothing short of awful. We have sent Rocky Bernard off to pasture and added bulk in the front four with hybrid end/tackle Cory Redding and half-man, half-laundromat Colin Cole. The entire defense is going to hinge on the ability to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With Kerney battling to stay healthy through a full season, and both Tapp and Jackson having some question marks, the ability to pressure the QB rests largely on the massive shoulders of Brandon Mebane. Is he up to the task? You know my answer, what do you guys think?

END

Ten Reasons The Seahawks Will Win The West

2009-07-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

by: William P. Tomisser

Ten reasons the Seahawks will win the West in 2009.

1) Hasselbeck and Walter Jones are cornerstones of our offense. Both played well below their capacity last year due to injuries and have been talked about from a number of sources as being washed up and ready to be replaced. Both have a lot to prove this season and both are being reported as well along on their rehabilitation. Both have expressed assurances that they will be ready to play this season. Both want to prove the critics wrong.

2) Mora was criticized in his first stint as head coach for becoming too close to his players and not maintaining discipline. After watching a future HOF coach in Holmgren coach for two seasons from a front row seat, Mora is primed to show he can build a tough football team who will as he puts it “suffocate the” opposition. Mora also has a lot to prove this season as he takes up the reins of the head coach for the second time in his career.

3) Tim Ruskell was said to be in a behind the scenes battle with Holmgren for recognition as the instigator of the teams success while winning 4 division titles in a row and getting to the Super Bowl in 2005. His draft choices have been called into question by some and certainly his handling of the Hutchinson contract negations and trading a number 1 draft choice for Branch have been heavily criticized. Now he’s out from under Holmgren’s shadow and has had the opportunity to hire his hand picked successor as the new head coach. It is now unquestionably Ruskell’s show from top to bottom and he’s got a lot to prove along with Mora.

To continue reading.........

4) Last season, even though the offense had question marks, the defense was back completely intact from the previous season in which it had made good improvement from the previous season. The result was that the defense played horribly and along with all the offensive injuries, contributed to the worst season in over a decade for the Seahawks. It was an embarrassing season for the defense and even though some of the problem was most likely the scheme that Marshall devised, the defensive leaders particularly Tatupu didn’t play well. For this season, the defense was revamped from front to back. The defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backfield were all upgraded. The defense as a unit has egg on their collective face from last season and they have a lot to prove this season. Listening to interviews from the defense, they all have talked about turning it around this year.

5) Burleson and Branch were going to be our big one two punch at wide receiver last season. Instead, Burleson got hurt right away and Branch wasn’t able to get back on the field until late in the season and both were much maligned in the press and by fans for being unworthy of their contracts. This season, Seattle finally brought in a blue chip veteran receiver in Houshmandzadeh and they are still counting on Branch and Burleson to compliment him in forming a high impact receiving corps for Hasselbeck to throw to. Branch and Burleson both have a lot to prove in 2009. Both have talked in interviews about proving up this season and both expect to make an impact.

6) Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett have also been criticized for not being worthy of their contracts and they have been characterized as ordinary running backs nearing the end of their effectiveness due to age. Although they are both reputed to be “one cut” backs well suited to the zone blocking system that Seattle intends to employ this season, neither has shown to be an elite level back in a conventional blocking scheme. Both have been interviewed and both are saying that under the zone blocking system they will be much more effective. The coaches believe they can do the job. The claim is that a good one cut back who can make the correct cut isn’t as easy to find as one might think and that both backs have proved that they have the vision and instincts to be effective in that system. It’s been speculated that both were brought in with the anticipation of migrating to the zone blocking system but under Holmgren last season, the new blocking scheme was never implemented. Obviously, both have a lot to prove this season. Both say they will do just that.

7) Spencer, Sims, and Wahle all had problems last season ranging from injury to mental mistakes. All are under the gun this season. Spencer is being pushed by Unger to prove he can be Seattle’s long term answer at center. Sims was hurt last season and hasn’t played well since his rookie season. Coach Solari has said that both should prosper in the new zone blocking system. Wahle had trouble with keeping his head in the game and made several mental mistakes which cost Seattle penalties at critical points in games last season. He also has injury problems. Add to that the fact that Wrotto has been around for 3 years now and hasn’t had more than a handful of snaps in real game action and most of those came last season when the entire offensive line who started the season ended up on injured reserve. Vallos looked as if he might have a future at center but since Unger came aboard in this years draft, he’s back to battling for a job along with Williams who got some snaps last season when the starting offensive line went on IR. Our offensive line is one of the biggest question marks for this season. Solari has stated that he thinks we could have a good offensive line and that the depth we have is good. He’s said that a lot of these guys will revitalize their career under the zone blocking system and become good offensive linemen for Seattle. That makes the entire offensive line a group that has a lot to prove this season. From interviews I’ve listened to, they know it and have confidence they can do it.

8) Colin Cole and Cory Redding both came from programs where they were expected to produce at a higher level and where they had some disappointment in doing so. Cole was going to be Green Bay’s nose guard in moving to a 3 – 4 alignment on defense and was said to be Green Bay’s number one priority for resigning from their unrestricted free agent pool. Redding was given a contract that put him in the top echelon of defensive tackles but didn’t live up to that contract last season in Detroit. Obviously, Green Bay felt that Cole could be an unmovable object in the center of their defensive line and that’s the role he is being asked to play in Seattle. While he’s somewhat one dimensional, that one dimension is just what Seattle has been lacking since Tubbs was unable to play. Redding played for Detroit. I think that’s enough said at this point. Detroit thought he had the goods to play at a higher level. Redding was willing to work for Seattle on a one year contract at a reasonable cost and prove himself before seeking a long term deal. He wants to prove himself first. That certainly speaks of having confidence in his abilities and is a refreshing attitude. He will play both inside and out on the defensive line in the rotation and the Seattle coaches think he will be able to help out at both positions. Both new defensive linemen along with Mebane who is at a new position as an interior pass rusher have a lot to prove this coming season. All three are ready to prove themselves and can’t wait to put on the pads and show what they can do. The two new defensive linemen are ready to prove that they are better than their play at their former teams would indicate.

9) Coach Solari has a burning desire to prove that the zone blocking system can be effectively implemented in Seattle and that it can make the running game easier to plug new components into and get them up to speed quickly. He has repeatedly expressed confidence that the offensive linemen Seattle has under contract now can become effective under the ZBS and that it will turn around the Seahawk’s running game. From the dismal results of the running game in Seattle over the last three years since 2005 when we were at the top of the league, it will be no small feat to put a ground game together that once again strikes fear into opponents hearts and that all starts with the offensive line. Solari has a lot to prove with his new scheme and how well it lends itself to bringing in new personnel and integrating them into the ground game. Solari says it’s going well and that Seattle will be able to run the ball effectively in 2009. Music to all our ears.

10) The injuries Seattle suffered in 2008 are already legendary. There has been speculation that some of the problem was that coach Holmgren was too soft in off season programs and training camp not wanting to get players hurt so as a result, the players weren’t in the best shape they could be and the resulting injuries were in some cases related to the soft training methodology. There were significant injuries in 2006 and 2007 also and the big difference in 2008 was only in the numbers of players injured. Mora has stressed conditioning and as a workout warrior himself, has influenced a lot of the players to get into the best shape of their lives as some have reported including Hasselbeck. His run up the mountain and recent climbing of Mt. Rainier have showed his commitment to being in great shape and he is preaching that the Seahawks will still be putting on the pressure in the fourth quarter where some games are won or lost based on conditioning. It won’t be Seattle that can’t put out maximum effort throughout the game. The new paradigm in conditioning for the Seahawks is one more thing that has to be proved for it to be believed.

Altogether, this team has a lot to prove from one end to the other. Most of it’s key players have a lot to prove this season and a lot of the Seahawk players have a chip on their shoulder this season from being heavily criticized for their play last season or being counted on to produce and having injury take away the opportunity to prove up. You could say this team from the GM on down to the 53rd player on the roster has a chip on it’s organizational shoulders to prove to the community as well as to themselves that last season was an aberration cause by a host of factors from having an unsettled situation for the coaching staff to the multitude of injuries unprecedented in even a coach of Holmgren’s experience. That chip on every shoulder and the need of every critical piece in the machinery of the team to prove themselves this season is going to make for a hungry team who will play more like a team who hasn’t been to the playoffs in a decade than a team who is recovering from one down year. I expect the Seahawks to become a band of demons this year on the field and fueled by the coaches and upper management’s enthusiasm, will play above their heads and take back the West from the Arizona Cardinals. If they can keep that need to prove up and erase the bad taste of the 2008 season at a high level throughout the season, I can see them making a good showing in post season play or even going all the way again. To do so, they will need to keep injury free and as I said maintain the chip on the shoulder attitude. I see a team who is banding together and getting ready to show the rest of the league that some respect is due. Some of you may see something different. Agree or disagree. The floor is yours Addicts.

Hasta,

BillT

END

Speculation on T. Jones for D. Branch

2009-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

By now, the Seahawks' unproven backfield is no secret.

Julius Jones got off to an impressive start last year, but saw both a sharp drop in production and an increase in benchwarming as the year progressed. Holmgren stuck to a very one-dimensional approach with Mo Morris being the primary back, with TJ Duckett being brought out only to shoulder his way into short-yardage gains. Justin Forsett was sadly all but forgotten after being re-acquired from the Colts.

Evan Silva over at Rotoworld posted an NFC West minicamp review today, and, as predicted, makes some gloomy predictions about the Seahawks' 2009 season. Among them? The inefficiency of the passing game, due to Greg Knapp's infamous run-first approach (something he's already said he's not sold on doing again), which Silva says will particularly affect TJ Houshmandzadeh's numbers. He projects 88/940/5 for Housh at season's end, which I think is ridiculously low for a player like Housh, and also for what Ruskell is paying him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think five touchdowns a year for $40 million really pays out. I'd say the team wants to realistically see something like 90/1,100/10.

But even though Silva underestimates Housh, he points out that Deion Branch could be in trouble. Remember those trade rumors we heard about Branch for Thomas Jones? Well...

Deion Branch still has his roster spot, even though he lost his position to Houshmandzadeh and didn't practice all spring while recovering from knee surgery. If GM Tim Ruskell gets serious about Thomas Jones, a straight-up swap sending Branch to the Jets makes too much sense...

I can't see this happening. Branch may have been a disappointment for the exchange of a first-round pick, but when he's actually healthy, he shows up. He didn't break 100 yards last season, much to everyone's chagrin, but he did put up decent numbers against his former team, the Patriots -- four catches, 88 yards and 2 TDs. Plus, he had another two-touchdown game at Arizona in the final game of the season. What I'm still hesitant to believe is if he can continue this streak.

Even still, would Ruskell really risk subtracting from what could be an elite receiving unit to add a running back who would have an uncertain role? Would adding Thomas Jones mean letting him fight it out in camp with his brother and TJ Duckett? Or does the team simply have too much invested in Branch to trade him away, even after a spell of injuries?

END

Seahawk Addicts on Facebook

2009-07-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey there guys and gals, after a few months of saying I was going to do it, I've done it! If you're on Facebook, you should add Seahawk Addicts as a friend. There isn't a whole lot to it at the time being, but in the coming weeks it is likely to become a good place to keep in touch with us. I'm working on integrating it and Twitter (zomg, follow us there too or else) with the blog more, and when you add to that a couple of forthcoming site changes/additions, I think the community is going to be enabled to grow a bit while operating more effectively.

Feel free to leave some comments on our wall, let us know what you'd like us to be writing about, shoot any articles you find our way, or just say 'whats up.' Looking forward to putting some faces to the names, guys and gals!

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Duckett wants to run

2009-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

TJ Duckett was on Mitch in the Morning yesterday and spoke about his desire to increase his role on the Seahawks' offense in 2009. Duckett said that he did not want to "settle with being a short yardage back," which he has been pigeonholed into because of his size. He seemed happy about his role in 2008, though would have liked to get the ball a bit more; still, "there's only one football to go around."

Duckett did discuss the zone blocking system at a bit of length, and said that the ZBS fits his style well. He is predominantly a one-cut back who can run hard downhill. He thinks he'll get a chance to run a fair amount more at different points in the game and not strictly third downs and fourth-and-short.

I wonder if Duckett looks at a guy like Brandon Jacobs and feels that he can be that guy. I don't know that he can, but I do believe he will see an increased role in Knapp's offense. Duckett is good at pounding the ball, but he does have a little bit of speed too. Key term there: little bit. Jacobs is a special (and injury prone) back. It's not likely that Duckett is going to put up career numbers this year barring an injury above him in the depth chart.

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Spencer, Sims, Tapp would be RFA instead of UFA if 2010 remains uncapped

2009-07-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

2011 NFL Work stoppage was reported to be as a "near certainty" back in March.

Not a heckeva lot has changed since then.

Background info
One of the major reasons was to implement a rookie salary pay structure, limiting what rookies can make. The union opposes this change and work stoppage appears imminent. If neither the players union or the owners can work out a new agreement, then 2010 will be an uncapped season and 2011 might not happen at all due to work stoppage.

An uncapped season might sound like doomsday for owners but they've set up new free agency rules in the event of an uncapped season.

1. Players can only enter free agency after six seasons in the NFL rather than the four currently stipulated.
2. Teams will get an extra transition tag and can use the two transition tags with their franchise tag, rather than choosing one or the other.
3. The teams that finished amongst the final four in the playoffs cannot sign an unrestricted free agent until they lose one free agent of their own.
4. The next four teams will have restrictions of their own in free agency, so they cannot afford any of the elite players in free agency.

This last rule was enacted this year but will carry over to the uncapped season.

5. A player's base salary can't raise more than 30 percent from one year to the next.

The uncapped year affects several Seahawks, including starters Chris Spencer, Rob Sims and Tapp.

Here's the full list. Bold indicates restricted free agent. Normal indicates unrestricted free agent.

Link

Essentially, the rules under the uncapped year make it much easier for the Seahawks to re-sign their free agents. Starters center Chris Spencer, guard Rob Sims and off-and-on starter defensive end Darryl Tapp all would have been UFA in 2010. But, due to the rule change, they’ll be RFA.

Restricted free agents are much easier to retain because the old team the player was on has first right of refusal.

They can also sign the player to a tender, which means if another team signs the player to an offer sheet, and the old club doesn’t match the offer, the new club must give the old club compensation in the form of draft picks. The draft pick depends on how much money the tender was.

For instance, if the Seahawks tendered Chris Spencer and another team signed him to an offer sheet and the Seahawks refused to match the offer, the other team would have to compensate Seattle with a first round draft pick, corresponding with where Spencer was drafted.

END

ESPN radio this afternoon

2009-07-15T12:02:00.001-07:00

By: Chris Sullivan

Mike Sando will be on with Brock and Salk at 1:40 this afternoon, and an interview with Matt Hasselbeck will be re-aired at 2:25 or so. The interview is from a few minutes ago, I just missed it and you probably did too. Hah. If not, comment below folks...

Chris Spencer - Better than fanvertised?

2009-07-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

John Morgan at the always perceptive Field Gulls posted a very good article on Chris Spencer yesterday. Morgan sees Spencer as a strong, athletic, and improving offensive lineman who was, in his estimation, the second-best offensive lineman for much of the 2008 campaign. With one false start penalty and only 2.5 sacks allowed, Spencer did indeed avoid most mistakes (he also had no holding penalties). Here's Morgan:

Spencer again proved reliable at the point of attack and able to match against the most athletic and most powerful defensive tackles. In 2008, he did so consistently. He improved his ability to react to free rushers and protect the quarterback within the pocket. Spencer overcame his greatest deficit, his feet, and began to turn his athleticism and raw power into blocks in the second level. He improved his ability to sustain those blocks as the season progressed.

There's not a whole lot to disagree with there. Spencer struggled from the on-set as he was thrust into the starting lineup early in his career and was harangued by Coach Holmgren ("a boss that humiliated and underappreciated him" says Morgan). Spencer's development in year one under Mike Solari was noticeable, and with Mora at the helm, don't be surprised to see Chris Spencer take the next step to being a real strength in the middle of the line. Max Unger should push Spencer to be a better player, though it very much remains to be seen whether that will happen.

We've been hard on Spencer as a center and have long supported him sliding over to guard for precisely the reasons Morgan mentioned -- he is strong, very athletic, and his feet are getting better all the time. There are two big questions about Spencer though: 1.) Can he play up to his first round status this year? If not, look for him to sign elsewhere in 2010; and 2.) Can he stay healthy? Spencer has the injury streak of Porkchop, but in a more important and regular role and with harsher injuries. His health is of paramount concern going forward, and if he cannot prove that he can get through a 16-game season, it will be hard to sign him to a long-term deal (if his play warrants one).

What do you think, Addicts? Will Spencer be able to take the final step and earn a new contract? Did Holmgren ever give Spencer a fair shake (remember, he was Ruskell's first draft pick...)? Sound off below.

END

Training Camp Field Reporters Wanted!

2009-07-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey there Addicts, the SA team is looking to you for some help. I know a lot of you are planning to attend training camp sessions (remember, you can register at 10 am on Thursday -- Season Ticket Holders can register as of this morning). If you head to camp this offseason, shoot me an email and write up a little bit about what you saw, who looked good, who looked bad, your general impressions of VMAC, Mora, Housh, whatever. Nothing super in-depth needed, but it won't hurt. I'll take some excerpts and throw them up at the end of the day (with accreditation to you, of course).

A lot of the readers are not local and/or not able to get out of work for three weeks at the beginning of August. I'm taking off work for one day to attend, but that's hardly going to take care of all the needs of true addicts, now is it? Anyway, drop a line in the comment thread here if you think you're going, especially if you know what day you're looking to attend. The schedule of practices can be found right here. The help in covering training camp would be very appreciated -- it'll get your name and prose seen by thousands, and who knows, there might be a free bumper sticker in it for ya if you play your cards right. And if we make bumper stickers.

END

History IS in 34 Year Old Hasselbeck's Favor [updated]

2009-07-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Mr. Fancypants Weinberg posted on here yesterday about the lack of success of older quarterbacks in the league. His facts aren't wrong, per se, but they are a bit misleading. Most 34+ quarterbacks in this league are not starters, but backups. The gross majority of the stats should then be tied up in those with the greatest number of statistics -- if you've got more pass attempts, you should have more pass yards.

I thought I'd take a look at Hasselbeck's actual peer group: 34 year old starting quarterbacks (8 games or more, generally) who have been in at least one Pro Bowl this decade. Here's how it shook out:

Quarterback	Age	G	GS	QB Rtg
Jeff Garcia	35	6	5	65.1
	36	8	6	95.8
	37	13	13	94.6
	38	12	11	90.2
Kurt Warner	34	10	10	85.8
	35	7	5	89.3
	36	14	11	89.8
	37	16	16	96.9
Rich Gannon	34	16	16	86.5
	35	16	16	92.4
	36	16	16	95.5
	37	16	16	97.3
Brett Favre	34	16	16	90.4
	35	16	16	92.4
	36	16	16	70.9
	37	16	16	72.7
	38	16	16	95.7
	39	16	16	81.0
Trent Green	34	16	16	95.2
	35	16	16	90.2
	36	8	8	74.1
Brad Johnson	34	13	13	92.9
	35	16	16	81.5
	37	15	9	88.9
	38	15	14	72.0
Kerry Collins	36	16	15	80.2

The average quarterback rating of those quarterbacks' performances is 86.8. That's not great, but it is very competent. Many of these quarterbacks were at the helm during winning seasons, and some were at the top of their game in their mid-to-upper thirties (Garcia, Gannon, and Green jump to mind).

So, what does this show? Not necessarily a lick, but I think it is much more reasonable to believe that the verdict is very much still out on Matt Hasselbeck. In the words of NAMBLA members everywhere, "age ain't nothin' but a number." [Dear FBI: Sullivan's the one you want. I'm too pretty to go to prison. -Ed.] Hasselbeck is 34, but Peyton Manning is 32 -- in two seasons will people be claiming he's done? Somehow, I doubt it.

Update: Sando sez:

I looked from 1983 through 2008 for quarterbacks 34 and older who started at least 10 games and finished with passer ratings of 90 or higher. Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Vinny Testaverde, Rich Gannon, Joe Theismann, Warren Moon, Steve DeBerg, Brett Favre, Trent Green, Jeff Garcia, Steve Beuerlein, John Elway, Brad Johnson, Phil Simms, Dan Marino and Kurt Warner combined to do it 25 times in 26 seasons. Can Hasselbeck join the list?

END

History Isn't in 34 Year Old Hasselbeck's Favor

2009-07-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

There's no Seahawks news, but there's been a ton of Sounders stuff over the weekend, which has kept me busy and away from SA. But don't worry, I'm back.

Today we're taking a look at Matt Hasselbeck and, more importantly, his age. He'll be 34 by the start of the season. Jeff over at my site compiled stats from QBs age 34 and older. There turned out to be 55 QBs that fit the criteria. The stats weren't too bad until you took out Brett Favre and Rich Gannon, who between them account for half the Pro Bowls and more than 1/3 of the playoff appearances.

13 Pro Bowl appearances
342-344 regular season record
15-14 playoff record
15 playoff appearances
3 Super Bowl appearances
1-2 record in the Super Bowl

Only quarterbacks that were actual starters for their team were included, not just those who got the start due to injury. However, if the player did come off the bench but then cemented himself as the clear-cut starter, such as the Titans' Kerry Collins last season, he made the list.

So why do we care about this? Quarterbacks aren't like fine wine; they don't increase in value with age. Hasselbeck may appear to be and say he is 100%, but history tells a different story. 34-year-old QB's just get injured. And with recent back, knee and rib injuries, the chances of Matt suffering another season-ending injury are high.

What do I think? I think he'll play 19 games this season, but I'm completely irrational when it comes to the Seahawks.

END

Storylines for 2009

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

by: Chris Sullivan

We are one month and two days away from the first preseason game. There are so many unknowns right now that pretty much everything is up in the air. At this time last year, the storylines for the Seahawks would not have included a) too few WRs (remember how "deep" we were?!), b) Hasselbeck's health, c) the offensive line's health (it was stalwart with Wahle, right? Riiiight???), and so forth. So y'know, take these suckers with a grain of salt. In an ideal, injury-free, wrinkle-free world, these are what shape up to be the top storylines for your Seattle Seahawks in 2009:

1.) How can the Seahawks come back from a 4-12 season? Most of the players on the 2008 team had never had a losing season. Let that sink in. The Seahawks had largely rebuilt around its 2005-2008 draft picks, almost all of whom had come from big programs at winning schools. The veterans had been on a largely-successful Seahawks team for much of the previous 5 years. On the whole, these were a bunch of talented guys who hadn't really faced that sort of adversity in their careers. They faltered and failed, even when they should have been able to win (Miami, SF, Tampa Bay). Will we find the Seahawks as a new group of inspired guys who want to reprove their excellence? Or a bunch of weinerheads who can't regain their confidence (Kelly Jennings, we're looking at you)?

2.) How will Greg Knapp balance his offense now that he has a strong, immobile quarterback and middle-of-the-pack running backs? Is this going to be a run-first offense as so many fear it will be, or will Knapp have the smarts and discipline to really use his players? To me, this is probably the most pressing question, but #1 above won out because it all hinges on the players not being weinerheads.

3.) What will the West Coast Defense actually look like? With the personnel that the Seahawks have in defense, there is not really an excuse for them to be outside of the top 10 defenses, and really, top 5 should be the goal. However, the secondary is still suspect and the line is largely unproven -- Kerney, yes, but Tapp and Jackson haven't won the starting job yet despite many opportunities to differentiate themselves; Redding was decent on a terrible team but how will he do flexing inside and outside on the line?; Colin Cole is as big a question mark as he is a man. He probably has the most to prove outside of Julius Jones.

4.) Will Julius Jones prove himself an NFL-caliber running back? If he can't pull his weight this year, the Seahawks will be in trouble. Duckett can't handle the load and Forsett is an exciting back, but not likely the solution at the #1 spot. Devon Moore looks good, but again, he's a Forsett clone so those two will battle it out if he has a monster pre-season, but he will not compete. Our RB depth is a big concern and keeping Jones healthy is probably the third most important person on the team -- Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and J.J.. Kerney is probably more important actually, but I'm trying to make this dramatic.

5.) What will become of the Cardinals? If they are as good as last year, I think we can take them down, but what if they get better? What about the 49ers? Even the Rams -- who the often prescient Football Outsiders predict will finish second in the NFC West -- could make a run at it. NFC Worst no longer, my friends. I have a feeling this one is going to be a dog fight . . . Vick?

END

2-a-days: NFC West

2009-07-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Peter "Wait, you mean people can read my thoughts on here?" Schrager has posted another article that discusses the Seahawks in some length. This time he's not slighting them though, which is a nice change of pace. Schrager takes a question about each of the four NFC West teams and stays largely positive on all of them. Check it out here.

His fifth question is "Which highly touted rookie in the NFC West will have the biggest impact in 2009?" The answer, not surprisingly, is Aaron Curry. There's about four paragraphs on him, specifically his pass-rushing prowess, that concludes with this:

He can and he will. Aaron Curry's the NFL's next great defensive star.

END

Fantasy Wind-up

2009-07-12T09:14:00.002-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Well guys, it's that time of year again. You'll soon start getting emails from friends who think you're kind of dumb asking you to join their fantasy league, or hey, maybe its you trying to get the suckers into your league. We've all got to win one, right? The second annual Seahawk Addicts fantasy league will be starting out pretty soon, I'll start sending out invites and such in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, you'd better start getting your strategy on!

Friend of the Blog Rob Staton has been doing some great stuff over at the Draft Blog lately. Sure, it started out as being all about the NFL draft, but screw that man, that's old news -- it's all about YOUR fantasy draft now. Rob is one of the better informed Britons that I know when it comes to discussing the NFL and specifically the strengths and weaknesses of the teams. He picked them apart in his mock drafts for the April-stravaganza, and now, tada, you get his knowledge for your draft party too.

Check out his first full Mock Draft. Any Seahawks for Rob?

Round 4 (2) Rob - T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Sea - WR)
I was seriously tempted by Ryan Grant and Marshawn Lynch here, two backs who were taken in the top two rounds last year. Lynch starts the season suspended but could have value later on, whilst Grant is likely to start in Green Bay. However, with weak options at WR ahead I decide to take a chance and show some love to the Seahawks.

So Housh has won Rob's heart. Nice! At any rate, check out the Mock and keep an eye out on this space right here for our likely mock fantasy draft coming in a week or so. In the meantime... What do you think about Rob's draft? In the comments here, give me your top ten prospects, if you've got the cajones, that is.

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Back In The Saddle Again

2009-07-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

by: William P. Tomisser

Hey gang, I just got back from an almost 6 long week vacation to Europe and Russia. I've been completely suppressed from using the Internet while in Russia the last three weeks so I'm still catching up on Seahawk events. I hope to be contributing to the blog again within the next week as soon as I'm up to date. Hope everyone is having a great summer and I'm really glad to be home again where "football" really means football and not some other sport played with a silly round ball. Wow, American football really dies fast when you cross the big pond.

Hasta,

BillT

END

Nate Burleson Video Diary

2009-07-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Just a heads up, NFL Total Access tonight will feature a video diary from Nasty Nate Burleson. It airs at 7pm Seattle time and about 14 other times before 7pm tomorrow.

Update: While it lasts, here's the "diary."

END

Making Sense of the O-Line

2009-07-10T10:56:00.001-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Question: If you've got 8 starting-caliber (or, starting-possible, anyway) offensive linemen, who wins the job? That was a question being volleyed about a bit last night in the Unger comment thread, so I figured I'd bring it to the fore here. Here's how I see our line shaping up in Week One of 2009:

Left Tackle - Starter: Walter Jones, Backup: Sean Locklear
This is a pretty big no-brainer here. If Jones is healthy, he will start and he will continue starting until he can start no longer. Age and injuries have converted Walter Jones from the best of all time to the best of right now, but hey, we'll take it. When he's got a suitable, trustworthy guard next to him (cough, cough, not Rob Sims, cough), Jones is damn near impenetrable. Locklear lacks his skills and strength, but is a solid RT and can slide over to backup. I still am not a believer that Locklear is the long-term solution at LT.

Left Guard - Starter: Mike Wahle, Backup: Max Unger / Chris Spencer
While I do not believe Wahle will last long as a starter and, honestly, I'm not convinced that he can hold off Unger/Spencer with his iffy shoulder, I am giving him the starting position right now based on one thing: Walter Jones. Jones excels with an experienced, talented guard next to him. While we like Unger, it remains to be seen -- but appears very unlikely -- that Unger is on the same level as Steve Hutchinson. If you can't replace hutch, left guard you shan't touch. Not really, but it sounds nice, right? I throw Unger and Spencer as the backup -- whoever ends up backing up at center will also likely backup at guard.

Center -- Starter: Chris Spencer, Backup: Max Unger
It seems that the Seahawks want to give Spencer the position to lose based on the fact that Unger has been working out primarily at LG, while working third-string center (behind Vallos, if I'm not mistaken). Still, Unger loves the center position and wants to play it, Spencer has never stepped up to the plate like he was expected to. It might play to the Seahawks' strength to let Spencer ride the bench a little bit and/or play some guard this year so they can re-sign him on the cheap as he enters free agency. I believe Unger will be starting within 4 weeks, but it will ultimately come down to how the Seahawks start the season and how Spencer and Unger prove themselves in the preseason. Obviously.

Right Guard -- Starter: Ray Willis, Backup: Rob Sims
Say whaaaat? Yep, you heard it hear first people (okay, maybe third), but I think Ray Willis will earn his long-coveted starting role not as right tackle but as guard. Willis is too strong to ride the bench, but he doesn't quite have the footwork to play tackle every down. He was listed as a guard earlier in the offseason by the Seahawks and I think thats a good fit for him. Behind him in the depth chart we have Rob Sims who was awful in 2007, but injured almost immediately in 2008. Sims is in a make-or-break contract year. Look for him to try to push and prove himself as a starter, but I don't really see it happening. Wrotto is behind him in the depth chart right now, but is clearly liked by Solari and appears to be the purest ZBS lineman that we have. He could make a surprising push to start by years end too.

Right Tackle - Starter: Sean Locklear, Backup: Ray Willis
Locklear is all but a lock here, but Willis wants it and could push him if he doesn't start strong (as we saw last year). Still, Lock has shown himself to be one of the most competent right tackles in the NFC and should maintain that status. Not a lot of controversy on the ends here, but the middle three are all up for grabs.

So, there ya go. There's my July 10 read on the offensive line. What do you guys think will happen? What do you hope to happen?

END

Solari and Unger sittin' in a tree...

2009-07-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Dan Arkush at Pro Football Weekly reports that a number of his Seahawks sources have confirmed that the Hawks are positively smitten with 2nd Round pick Max Unger. Unger has been seeing the bulk of his time at left guard (where, presumably he would share time with Mike "Ow My Shoulder!" Wahle), and center where he is expected to be breathing down Chris Spencer's neck. At Oregon, Unger played primarily center and has made it clear that it is his preferred position, but the Seahawks reportedly see him as a jack-of-all-trades a la Chris Gray. He snaps, he blocks, he juliennes! Whatever position he ends up at, one thing Arkush says is clear: he will earn a starting job.

The consensus among our Seahawks sources is that second-round OL Max Unger's talent is simply too good to not be a starter this season.

This is nothing but great news for the Seahawks that a rookie like Unger can immediately come in and impress the coaches enough to be looking for a way to start him. Of course this is all just hearsay, but we will see soon enough how Unger performs in the preseason. Still, if the Seahawks pull a starter out of Unger for what amounted to a trade for our fourth and fifth round picks well, that my friends, would be called "friggin sweet." Add to it the fact that we would likely have drafted Unger at #37, got a first rounder in 2010 instead, and still got our guy? Wow.

END

Madden 2010 - Rising Realism

2009-07-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

by: Ryan Romano

EA posted a new blog entry on Monday featuring the improvements being made to both CPU AI and additional team specific formations and plays.

To sum up the post, the Madden team made several improvements to CPU AI when playing offline (usually in franchise mode). To give teams a more realistic feel, teams will now be more likely to call plays that play to their strengths. Two examples were given, the Vikings and Colts. Before when playing against the Vikings, if you built a lead or initially stopped the run, the Vikings would abandon the run. With AP being the #1 rated HB in the game it is not wise to move away from the run at any time when playing with the Vikings.

The opposite is true with the Colts. Manning is the #1 rated QB in the game. The new AI will be sure to utilize this and pass the ball more on 1st down (and every other down, for that matter). There is a detailed explanation on the post about how actual run versus pass percentages in '08 are factored into CPU play calling. The AI is also constantly reevaluating itself for changes to the team so it can update its game plan. “"What if Peterson gets injured or traded?" you may ask. A really cool thing built into Adaptive AI (which was first detailed here) is that the team will re-evaluate itself constantly - so if for example the Vikings no longer have a feature back like Peterson, they will adjust accordingly (and likely start running the ball much less on first down). To me this means that this CPU AI will be a huge asset not only when playing current season games in online franchise mode but also when playing teams that have evolved after ten seasons in offline franchise mode.

I have a feeling that, because the Madden team has zero info on how the new coaching regime will operate, the Seahawks will be a balanced 50/50 run/pass team. I also think they will use last year’s formations to create this year’s playbook, which means no shotgun, no screens, and lots of FB draws.

Another CPU AI function that desperately needed upgrading in the '09 version was play calling in different situations. Here is a quote from the post:

“To accomplish this, we used our Play Designer tool to totally re-vamp the "AI Groups" to change the way the CPU calls their plays. An "AI Group" is basically the same exact concept of a bucket of plays a team takes into the game geared around game situations. These situations include all the normal football situations like 1st and 10, 2nd Short/Medium/Long, 3rd and Short/Medium/Long, 4th and Short/Medium/Long, Goal Line, and many others. The AI Groups also cover all the “Special” situations like Special Teams plays, QB Kneel Downs, Conserve time (No-Huddle plays), Waste Time (when CPU is ahead and tries to run the clock out), and Hail Mary calls.”

Teams should play much more true to form in the new game than in years past. This was always one of my biggest problems with playing against the CPU.

The last new feature covered in the post was about team specific formations and packages. They use the example of Welker and the Pats. Welker is the #2 rated WR on the Pats. The #2 WR in Madden '09 always split out wide, usually to the left on the screen. In Madden 10, there will be packages that put Welker in the slot without having to make any package or player substitutions.

“We have also added new formations for various teams that have the WR1 and the TE1 lining up in the slot as well. So don’t be surprised when you play the CPU and guys like Greg Jennings, Hines Ward, Steve Smith and Dallas Clark are lining
up inside against you.”

I think this could apply to both Carlson and Housh when playing with the Seahawks. Madden designers have also hinted that because of Butlers speed he will be deadly in the slot.

Two more links for you SA Madden fans. The first is a screen shot of the sunset at Qwest field. It looks pretty good to me. Let me know what you think. The second is a bunch of NFC West screen shots, including another shot of Qwest along with pics of other NFC West stadiums. Pic 8 is of Tatupu running with an INT. There's also a couple shots of Kerney looking mean and a pic with TJ Housh. If anyone can figure out who is starting at #1 DT I would like to know. Kerney and Cole are obvious (this is in pic #7). I think these screen shots are worth a look for Addict Madden fans in this summer down time.

Finally, this date has yet to be confirmed by EA but there are reports from my favorite Madden blog that the one game demo – a 20 minute game recreating Super Bowl 43 – will be available July 23. Once again, the only way to access this demo is to reserve your copy of Madden 10 at a Game Stop; there will be an access code on the receipt. Personally I am not a fan of Game Stop but I will for sure be getting my copy there so I can get a three week head start getting used to the new game.

The only real problem in the demo will be trying to pick your team. So Addicts, when the time comes, which side do you pick -- Arizona or Pittsburgh?

END

Today, Mt. Rainier . . . Tomorrow, the NFC West?

2009-07-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Seahawks Coach Jim Mora and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, along with a group of other climbers, completed their ascent to the summit of Mt. Rainier early Wednesday morning.

I'm swamped at work, as per usual, but the above link is to Danny O'Neil's write-up of the accomplishment. Eric Williams from TNT has also posted a write-up and a spectacular photo taken by guide Ed Viesturs.

Also, here's a bit from Williams' piece that's sure to spark some discussion today:

“I love Jim,” Goodell said. “He’s one of those passionate guys who when he sets his mind on doing something he does it and he does it well. And he loves the Pacific Northwest, as you know. And he was very proud or Rainier, and he’s very proud of this region and the people.

“So it meant a lot to him what we were doing.”

Goodell said he and Mora spent a sleepless night before the final ascent looking at the mountain, and that they also went to dinner together before traveling to Rainier.

This can only be a good thing for Seahawk fans and, if I may be so bold, west coast football in general.

I think this Mora guy might just know what he's doing after all. (Not that there was really ever any doubt.)

END

Video: Mora & Co. Get Set to Climb

2009-07-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

by: Mike Parker

This was posted on the United Way of King County's website earlier today. It's a great look at Coach Mora & co. suiting up at Rainier Base Camp for their ascent up the mountain.

Highlight: Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke deadpanning "no" when asked by the cameraman if he's excited about the trip. "I'm ready for a nap," he says.

The crew is expected back down to a more breathable elevation sometime around 3:30 p.m. today. Hopefully everyone makes it back in one piece, and maybe Mora and Roger Goodell will emerge as new best friends when it's all over. (Hey, c'mon, all the bad ref and 10 a.m. kickoff-time jokes have already been told 82 times; I need to resort to wishful thinking now.)

END

2008 Time of Possession

2009-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

In thinking about the causes of our terrible 2008 campaign, one thing has been often overlooked because it merely seemed so obvious. The Seahawks could not win the time of possession battle. Yeah yeah, we know. Not just that though, the Seahawks were 32nd in the league for time of possession and were, get this, two standard deviations from the norm. About 95% of all potential outcomes would have given us a better T.O.P., in other words (well, not exactly, but you stats nerds get what I'm saying so lets leave it at that). That is really, really, really bad. We had the ball approximately 44% (26:30 / game) of the time in 2008. Detroit was at 26:59. Greg Knapp's offense did a bit better, but still bad, at 28:09.

I think we all pretty much know the causes -- could not sustain drives, could not stop the opponents drives -- but the real question is what will be done next year to fix it?

1.) Convert third downs. This is a big one and it will rely a lot on a healthy Matt Hasselbeck. While the running game is often used on 3rd-and-short, the passing threat is key. The top five teams in 2008: Indianapolis (Manning), New Orleans (Brees), Denver (Cutler), San Diego (Rivers), and Green Bay (Rodgers... hm, outlier?). Who are the five worst? From the bottom -- Oakland (Knapp, gulp, with Russell), Detroit (Kitna, Orlavsky, Culpepper), Seattle (Hasselbeck, Wallace), St Louis (Bulger), and Cleveland (Anderson, Quinn).

2.) Sustain drives. Well, duh. This follows from converting third downs, obviously, but its worth stating anyway. Sustaining drives in the real world is more than run run pass, first second third. We will need to keep our players energized which will mean sending in different packages, keeping legs fresh, and keeping the quarterback clean.

3.) Improve Defensive 3rd down percentage. The Seahawks defense stunk last year. I don't think its all their fault -- they were on the field 56% of any given game, after all, including a number of games where there would be multiple three-and-outs by our offense. If you're on the field for 11 minutes of a quarter, you're more susceptible to losing concentration and wearing down. The Defense has to be responsible for getting themselves off the field though. Attacking will help, forcing turnovers will help, but when its 3rd and 3 this defense can not bend. For the last four or five years, we have. Routinely. We'll stop you on the goal line but give up the 5 yard slant at the 40.

4.) Always be a threat. This is what I want to see from my Seahawks. Our defense _should_ strike fear in the hearts of opponents, but will it? Our offense could too. We won't likely have a top 5 running game, but we should have one that is strong enough to open up the passing game. We have a number of good-to-very-good WRs and potentially one of the top TEs in the game. We can play the west coast game til the cows come home, but with Deon Butler, Nate Burleson, and even Housh, we should be able to threaten deep from time to time. If you can complete a 30-40 yard pass in every other game, you force the opponent to be more conservative on defense. If you can do that more routinely, you can have your way with them. This is what I want to see.

So, those are my thoughts. I personally believe that the time of possession battle will be one of the key determinants in our success this year. I had not realized how absolutely atrocious we were last year, but if we aren't above 49%, I think its going to be tough for this team to hit the playoffs. I think we can do it, but will we? What do you guys think?

Update: Eric Williams tackled this same issue in a different manner over at the TNT blog. Definitely worth a read.
END

This is why we needed Ken Lucas

2009-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

Back in early February Larry Fitzgerald almost single handedly led his team through the playoffs to a Super Bowl. It became clear that Seattle would need a change on defense in order to stop the Cards from scoring at will.

I started a series called "How do we stop this man?" in hopes of answering that question by watching game tape. By using common sense, I theorized that the 6-3 215 lb Fitzgerald would have a tougher time with taller/bigger cornerbacks who couldn't be out-muscled or out-lept for balls.

By watching every game and analyzing who was generally assigned to Fitz, my hypothesis was proved resoundingly correct. The 6-0 taller crowd largely shut down Fitzgerald.

Apparently Ruskell noticed this too and picked up the 6-0, 205 lb Lucas. But, who knows if Mora will leave Trufant on Fitz or make the swap for that game. Ex-DC John Marshall felt comfortable leaving Trufant man-on-man with Fitz (well maybe not comfortable, but playing a cover-1 leaves your options limited). That didn't turn out so well. Lucas would have a favorable match-up with Boldin, allowing for a safety to double up on Fitz more confidently.

Anyway, here's my analysis in spreadsheet format. Click to enlarge:

Red indicates shorter than 6-0. All 6-0 and taller CBs held Fitzgerald to less than 100 yards except for ex-Seahawk Shawn Springs. And, as I wrote earlier, the huge play for a touchdown was not his fault.

Here's an excerpt from my story which has some surprising statistics:

Fitzgerald faced off against seven cornerbacks who stood 6-0 or taller. Of those seven games, Fitzgerald averaged 66.1 yards per game and 0.6 touchdowns a game.

During the other nine games Fitzgerald faced off against cornerbacks 5-11 or shorter and accumulated much better stats, with an average of 107.7 receiving yards and 0.89 touchdowns a game.

Fitzgerald likes to utilize his size to beat smaller cornerbacks in jump ball situations and also has physical strength to muscle the smaller corners out of position.

So taller CB's held Fitz to about 40 yards less per game and .3 less TD's.

END

NFC West the focus on NFL Live

2009-07-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Just a heads up in case you're not watching now, but the guys on ESPN are focusing on the NFC West today. Sando comes on and says precisely what he wrote here.

The Seahawks question was: is Matt Hasselbeck's health the key to the division? "Yes, along with Walter Jones." They also discussed (for 3 seconds, literally) how the Seahawks defense stunk "lately," which means one season. There wasn't really a lot of good stuff, but they did (of course) basically re-appoint the Cards as NFC West champions, which is pretty much what one would expect. The 49ers and Hawks got lip service, but that was about it.

END

Schmitt pleads not guilty

2009-07-07T15:16:00.001-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

Business as usual in the court scene. Fullback Owen Schmitt, as expected, pleads not guilty.

The not guilty plea is no surprise because it gives Schmitt and his attorney time to work out a plea agreement with the prosecuting attorney.

First time offenders in the state of Washington normally receive a lesser charge of negligent driving in the first degree, which amounts to watered-down DUI penalties.

END

Knapp Says He Will Adjust to Seattle's Personnel

2009-07-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

In my first write-up, I forced readers to second-guess Knapp's ability to utilize Seattle's strengths since he's known for running run-happy teams:

My worry is we won't see Knapp fully utilizing Seattle's deadly WR corps, and that could be a bit frustrating to watch, especially with such an average (if not below average), trio of RB's.

I also quoted a Falcons blogger:

"While he might have been remembered more fondly had he simply been in charge of play calling for our running game--which was quite good the entire time he was in Atlanta--his refusal to adjust for the personnel he already had got him in a lot of trouble"

However, an interview way back in February may ease your minds a little. Here's the link and a key quote:

A lot of it is dictated by the personnel. Here we have a very experienced, Pro Bowl, played-in-a-Super Bowl quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck and I am kind of licking my chops because I am back with a guy who has a lot of savvy, a lot of experience, has made tough decisions in close ballgames and has done well. It helps my cause as far as what to choose from when you are using the playbook.

So maybe I was a little hasty in judging Knapp. But only time will tell if he can back up his words. Less than a month until training camp!

END

Goodell, Mora, Leiweke Gettin' Their Climb On

2009-07-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

We've been hearing about it for awhile now, but the United Way climb up Mount Rainier with Jim Mora, Tod Leiweke and NFL Commish Roger Goodell is officially underway. Jerry Brewer has a nice write-up over at the Times including some interesting perspective from Goodell and Mora, it's worth a read.

Still, to me, this is more a story about the business prowess of Tod Leiweke a man who has largely gone under the radar. As CEO of the Seahawks, Leiweke was instrumental in firing Bob Whitsitt and replacing him with Tim Ruskell. Love Ruskell or not, it's hard to argue that he was in anyway a downgrade from Whitsitt. At any rate, I think this move to challenge Goodell could end up playing dividends in the coming years. The closer the relationship Goodell has with Seattle's management and the city itself, the more relevant the city and its team becomes in his mind. This can only help the Seahawks.

Additionally, this is a great opportunity for friendships to be formed between Goodell and Mora/Leiweke. I support it.

What do you guys think will happen here? Will the Hawks end up getting anything good out of this? I'm curious to hear your thoughts as we suffer through the offseason doldrums together.

END

Hasselbeck on the "downswing," and Branch is "key"

2009-07-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

Flying along the West coast on my trip up and down from Santa Clarita I had a lot of time to read up on sports news with my Sports Illustrateds, Golf Digests, and ESPN the Magazines. In the dead of the offseason (and a small market to boot) there understandably wasn't much Seahawks reading during my four total hours of flight time.

In my 168 page SI fantasy football primer, which I boringly read in its entirety on my way down to Burbank, I came across a short one column piece of insider information featuring a division rival coach breaking down the team.

In the case of the Seahawks, it was unflattering to say the least.

Here's what I wrote over at NSS.

And below is the full SI write-up from page 148:

They made a massive change offensively, bringing in [coordinator] Greg Knapp, who will install the zone running game . . . Matt Hasselbeck has gotten the s--- knocked out of him the last two years. Last year you could see the cumulative effect of the big hits on him. He's on the downswing . . . They're very pedestrian at running back. Julius Jones [below] is not a guy who keeps you up nights defensively . . . T.J. Houshmandzadeh is not a home run hitter, but at the end of the day he'll catch a lot of balls . . . The key for them is Deion Branch coming back healthy. If he does, with Housh, you're looking at some real good play at receiver . . . John Carlson benefited from [former head coach] Mike Holmgren's throwing the ball so much, forcing defenses to play Cover Two on the outside. His production may go down with Housh also working the middle.

The part I found most surprising was how much the anonymous source dissed Hasselbeck. At 34 years old he's not getting much better, but the Addicts seem to universally agree that a healthy Matt means success for the 2009 season. He missed nine games last year due to injury, so you might wanna just toss out 2008. By all accounts, Matt seems healthy and clicking.

Another point that can be argued was John Carlson's decline. Greg Knapp and Jim Mora produced TE Alge Crumpler's best seasons back in Atlanta with a career best 877 reception yards in '05 and a few Pro Bowls to boot.

Tabbing Housh as not being a "home run hitter" is correct, but since when does a WCO call for a deep guy? Housh is the perfect guy for a short yardage West coast team. Granted, I'm assuming the source is talking in terms of fantasy output.

Ah well, not a lot to read into here 'cus it's just fantasy talk, but any football talk is a plus during July.

END

Odds on the Season

2009-07-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

For those interested in betting (and those not), Online Sports Handicapping recently discussed the odds by SportsBook.com for the Seahawks 2009 campaign and the likelihood of a) winning the Super Bowl, b) winning the NFC, and c) picked the over-under on wins.

While the article is poorly written (sorry, but I had to link something), the odds are interesting though not especially new. I don't think we discussed this much on the blog though, so here's the chance. The picks:

a) 40 - 1 odds that the Seahawks win the Superbowl
b) 20 - 1 odds that the Seahawks win the NFC
c) Estimated wins: 7.0

I think all of us believe that the Seahawks are better than a 7-win season -- a few breaks go the other way last year and we might have been a 7-8 win season even with the injuries and general crappiness of play. What would you put the odds at, Addicts? Let us hear it in the comments.

The sun may be shining, but for a football fan, July is just about the darkest month of the year. Silence from the practice field, endless Favre talk, and the NFL network spending half their programming time to remind you that the Patriots are the best thing to ever happen to the universe and if you think otherwise you might not be a real sports fan. So, hey, we're struggling to get through this month too!
END

RIP Steve McNair

2009-07-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

As I imagine most of you have heard, former co-MVP Steve McNair was shot dead yesterday in an apparent double-homicide. In a time where many football players have become ever more self-absorbed and more like circus sideshows than role models, McNair was a clear exception. He also presented himself with class and grace, and was known around the NFL as one of the good guys on the field and off.

We don't know exactly what happened and likely won't for some time. It's always possible that he was involved in some things that he should not have been. But whenever anyone says Steve McNair I remember the drive in Super Bowl XXXIV that came so, so close to immortalizing him, earning the Titans their first Super Bowl and gaining him a Super Bowl MVP. It was as gutsy a drive as you're going to see, and it was one of the more resonating football experiences in my relatively young life. So, without further ado, here's a little tribute video from youtube [pardon the cliche music]. One thing that stands out? His arm strength and accuracy on the run.

END

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T14:10:00.001-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

What are you doing reading the blog? Go [try not to] blow your hand off or something.

Top 3 Picks' contracts

2009-07-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

The always on-point Brian McIntyre over at NorthwestFootball.net has estimated what the contracts of Deon Butler, Max Unger and Aaron Curry might end up looking like. It's a good read. Here are some highlights:

Atlanta Falcons third-round cornerback Christopher Owens was chosen one spot ahead of Butler and has already signed his contract. He received a four-year deal with minimal base salaries and a signing bonus of $688,700.

Based on Owens’ contract, Butler will probably receive a four-year deal with minimal base salaries and a signing bonus of around $680,000. Through easily attainable playing time incentives and team qualifier in any of the first three years of the contract, his 2012 base salary would also increase to the low RFA tender or $1.308 million dollars.

Check out the rest of the article for more.

END

Houshmandzadeh can block

2009-07-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

By the time you read this, I'll be soaking up some 100 degree weather in Southern California. Well, I'm hoping for something closer to 80s or 90s but we'll see.

Here's part three in my Houshmandzadeh series. This one also shows how OC Greg Knapp is looking to bolster the run game, something that I haven't seen covered too much anywhere.

Basically what this piece shows is how all of our offensive acquisitions were made to improve J.J.'s and Duckett's numbers.

Original story

One constant between offensive coordinator Greg Knapp's offenses throughout the years is a top notch run game. One constant between Seahawks offenses since 2006? A frustratingly ineffective run game.

But, with the recent acquisitions of standout blocking tight end John Owens and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and the visitation by proven blocking fullback Justin Griffith, the Seahawks appear to be making moves to breathe life into a stagnant run game.

Much has been said about Houshmandzadeh's toughness and sure handedness, but not enough has been said about his blocking ability. (Click to enlarge)

In this play against Dallas in 2008, Houshmandzadeh blocks the cornerback to help open a lane for RB Chris Perry for a touchdown. However, The play was called back on a very questionable holding call, as noted by the announcers and proven by the subsequent replays.

In order for big plays to develop, solid down field blocking is a must. There is a good chance that Houshmandzadeh will help pave the way for the more explosive WR Nate Burleson and WR Deion Branch to improve their yards after catch. He'll also be an obvious upgrade in running situations.

Owens and Griffith

Owens is prototypical blocking tight end, one that cannot catch the ball and doesn't know how to competently run routes. But, he's as good of a blocker as they come at the position, and will be an improvement over free agent Will Heller.

Griffith, who recently visited Seattle, appears to be a safety net in case Leonard Weaver leaves Seattle. Or, he could be Weaver's replacement.

Griffith is more of a traditional fullback, one who's a monster blocker who can carry the ball when called upon on rare occasions. Weaver has proven to be more of a running back than fullback, one who still could improve his blocking.

We all now know that Leonard Weaver left and Griffith signed. I probably should have mentioned Owen Schmitt in the article because he is looking like the starter and a helleva blocker.

Here's a short scouting report on Owens:

At 270 lbs, Heller was closer in size to a tackle. He was strong at sealing the edge, but with his lack of speed might not fit in well with the zone blocking scheme Knapp hopes to further implement this season.

Owens is a bruising blocker and is fast enough to contribute competently on special teams, however, at 255, he isn't lightning quick either. But, he is an upgrade over Heller. Owens should complement Carlson's strong receiving skills well.

END

Houshmandzadeh the definition of a tough WR

2009-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

I originally published this story March 6, shortly after Seattle signed Housh.

I decided to do some quick analysis for my readers over at NSS of Housh's overall play and what to really expect from him. The first thing that became evident after watching a few games worth of tape from their poor 2008 campaign was Housh's toughness.

As Seahawks fans, I suppose we're just not used to seeing a wide receiver strip tacklers and really fight for extra yards at the expense of their body.

Housh, well, he does all of that while miraculously staying healthy. In essence, he's the possession receiver Seattle always wanted: a big (emphasis on big), tough (double emphasis on tough) receiver who'll get yards after catch. Here's the tape analysis, along with crappy photos to prove I'm not making it up.

During WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh's press conference earlier this week, Mora described Houshmandzadeh as a physical receiver who would bring swagger to the team.

After watching the first four games of Cincinnati's tumultuous season, the tape doesn't lie: the man is tough.

In 2008, Houshmandzadeh proved himself to be the most reliable wide receiver on the Bengals' roster.

Here are a few plays that defined him on the field for the first four games of the year. Seahawks faithful will be pleased to notice his ability to shed tacklers as well as his willingness to meet multiple defenders and fearlessly push for extra yards.

While he only gains about two extra yards after contact, he is still able to shed the first defender, let a second roll off of him, before a third finally comes in to make the stop. His resiliency throughout this play is what should be most intriguing to Seahawks fans; he never decides to hit the turf, but instead mercilessly powers through an infamous Ravens secondary.

On this short cross, Houshmandzadeh makes light work of the first cornerback who attempted to tackle the 6-1, 200 pounder. What's more impressive is how Houshmandzadeh is met by three defenders a couple yards before the first down marker, but still manages to muscle through them to make the first down.

Houshmandzadeh runs a short slant in, then makes the catch. The cornerback catches up to him but Houshmandzadeh forces him to slip off his back as Houshmandzadeh runs toward the sideline. It eventually takes two other Browns defenders to corral him short of the end zone.

Deon Butler talks Topps

2009-07-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Caught this interview with Deon Butler a week or two ago and was remembering that it gave me a few chuckles. Might as well share it, eh? It's an interview with Topps wherein Butler sees his rookie card for the first time, confesses that he has no skills outside of football, and appears to be getting his mack on just a little bit. Enjoy!

END

Seattle owns NFC West in spending AND wins

2009-07-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

I just did a quick write-up of this over at NSS but I figured I'd share it with the Addicts as well because I know you all love some good news.

Calculating total team expenditures, Paul Allen and the Seahawks dish out the second most in the league:

2. Seahawks $552.42
14. Cardinals $505.30
17. Rams $502.08
24. 49ers $486.40

Despite spending so much more than their NFC West counterparts, Seattle is able to convert the dollars to wins.

Team ---------Wins---Committed Cash---Cost Per Win
15.) Seahawks-45-----552.42 M ---------12.27 M
25.) Cardinals-34-----505.30 M----------14.86 M
29.) Rams ----27-----502.08 M----------18.59 M
30.) 49ers----25------486.40M----------19.45 M

Granted a no. 15 rankings isn't so hot considering they spend the second most in the league. But 2008 undoubtedly throws off Seattle's win percentage. All in all, be happy we have Paul Allen (he's worth $10.5 billion)

Original story

END

Housh vs. NFC

2009-07-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

I was looking at Houshmandzadeh's 2008 stats yesterday and something jumped out at me -- more than 40% of his yards came against the four NFC opponents he faced (NFC East). Check out this little box o' stats showing Housh vs. the NFC compared to his season as a whole (note the festive colors? Oooooooh):
As you can see, Housh played in 4 of his 13 games against the NFC (about 31%), so one might expect him to be grabbing about 30% of his stats in those games (though the Giants and Eagles represent a slightly bigger challenge than the Browns, so perhaps even less heh). That was not the case. Pretty exciting huh (since, y'know, we're in the NFC and junk)? Well, yes and no. To get a better picture, lets look at Ocho Cinco's stats for the same four games:

Now, admittedly, both of these WRs had bad years, especially Sloucho Stinko. Looking at these games though, it would appear that the secondaries focused on stopping the big play via Chad Johnson and were willing to just play contain on Houshmandzadeh. You might recall in the 2007 game against Seattle, this is precisely what we tried to do to Housh and 8-5 (with, uh, limited success -- they both had over 130 recieving yards. Oops).

What does this mean as we approach 2008? Well, it's hard to say. As pretty much everyone knows intuitively, the play of the quarterback greatly affects the stats of every other player on the field, most obviously the WRs. So, check that box, how Matt plays matters. Got it. The other key will be to see how Knapp is willing to us our WRs. Look for Butler to play the deep threat (though he'll need to be able to stretch the field AND prove he can catch, not just run real fast real far). Branch, Burleson and Housh will probably be the 1-3, but will Knapp be rigid in their alignment? Mora has made it sound like that won't be the case.

The Seahawks are paying Houshmandzadeh #1 WR money. That means he had better put up #1 WR stats (or at least, performance, stats aren't everything). When you think #1 you think L-Fitz, Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, T.O., and so on -- guys who are physical, can stretch the field, and can make the big catch in the corner of the endzone when the team needs it. I don't see Housh being used quite that way. I think he can put up #1 numbers from any of the WR positions, and I think he will move around. He'll get some time at flanker, split and slot depending on how the opponents defense has game planned. Are you going to leave your LB (or nickelback) to cover Housh in the slot? I think not. If we are willing and able to switch up our offensive looks, it should neutralize some of the attacking nature of the opponent.

I'm optimistic, of course (that's what July is all about). Still, in the past we have seen and heard of Greg Knapp refusing to bend, sticking to the same old run run pass, and so forth. The Seahawks will not thrive if they run the offense that the Raiders ran the last two years or the Falcons ran before that. Is Knapp up to the task of using his players properly, now that he actually has some players to use? We'll be finding out very soon.

END

Training Camp Info Announced

2009-06-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

The Seahawks have announced registration and attendance information on this year's training camp, held at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center from Aug. 3-20.

To attend one of the camps, fans have to register on seahawks.com, beginning July 16 at 10 a.m. The cost is $5 per person, which covers a transportation fee that takes fans to and from the practice field. The VMAC's parking lot will be closed to the public.

Fans will get transportation transfers and guest passes to the facility at the time of check-in. The check-in location will be found at the south end of The Landing Shopping Center in Renton, 915 North Landing Way.

All other information -- including transportation schedules, practice times and the like -- will be available on the team website at the time of registration.

These tickets are going to be gone quicker than Brian Bosworth's career, so write that date down and act accordingly, addicts.

END

Housh a deep threat?

2009-06-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

Housh is going to the Pro Bowl - he already told us that. But does he have the skills to drastically outshine Seattle's deep WR corps enough so that he can accumulate the kind of numbers typical of Pro Bowlers?

Afterall, there is a 20 year curse on the position, which hasn't been to a Pro Bowl in nearly two decades.

It can be blamed on the piss-poor 90's teams and Holmgren's penchant for spreading the ball, which isn't likely to change a lot with Greg Knapp at the helm.

Here's something I wrote in March as part of a series analyzing Houshmandzadeh's skill set. Original story.

Wide Receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said he's more than a possession receiver, something he's been dubbed by pundits and fans alike, during a live NFL.com interview.

"I think I"m a complete receiver -- I can do whatever a coach wants me to do," Houshmandzadeh said.

While used primarily as a possession receiver in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh proved on a few occasions that he can also burn a safety for a deep touchdown.

Seahawks fans may remember Houshmandzadeh's trip to Qwest Field in 2007, a game where Seattle narrowly pulled off the victory in the closing two minutes of the fourth quarter. He led the game in reception yards, racking up 141 yards and a touchdown. Click the photo to enlarge, and yes I admit these screen shots aren't very good. Hopefully my explanations below breathe some sense into them.

While Houshmandzadeh crosses shallow with the third receiver, Chad Johnson stretches the field to the left. This provides Houshmandzadeh with enough distance between him and safety Deon Grant to catch QB Carson Palmer's under thrown pass, then motor into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown.

On to the infamous tie game of 2008.

Houshmandzadeh and the third receiver cross to the left sideline, but Houshmandzadeh crosses back in to run the deep out and in, ending up toward the middle of the field. Despite two defenders near him, Houshmandzadeh runs past both of them and reaches up for the 26-yard touchdown catch.

What I saw while analyzing the tape proved that Housh has enough speed and route running skills to separate from the defenders. He also utilizes his size and strength during 1 on 1 situations a la Larry Fitzgerald (And if Fitz proved anything, it's that you don't need blistering speed to get the deep ball.) However, he didn't go deep very often with the Bengals.

Obviously Housh was the benefactor of playing opposite Ocho Cinco - I'm not going to tell you he can lead a team like Fitzgerald can. But, after viewing the limited game tape of Housh going deep, it's evident he has a wider skill set than the Bengal's coaching staff would've led you to be believe after using him primarily as a possession guy.

Still, one thing you'll never see from Houshmandzadeh is him catching a 60-yard touchdown bomb after burning the entire secondary for the majority length of the field. He just doesn't have the speed to accomplish something like that. So in that respect, he isn't a true deep threat.

I'll show you what I learned from more game tape later this week, including his blocking abilities and short routes (he's good.)

END

On Hasselbeck's Shoulders

2009-06-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

We're about one month away from training camp now, and all is quiet at the VMAC. But even as things are silent enough to hear a pin drop in Renton, the noises Matt Hasselbeck keeps hearing aren't all in his head.

Entering into his ninth season in the NFL, Hasselbeck faces arguably more scrutiny and questions in 2009 than he ever has before in his career. A bulging disc in his back kept him out of nine games last year, which drove many analysts across the country to being absolutely sure the Seahawks wouldn't pass on former USC QB Mark Sanchez with the No.4-overall pick.

But the team had other ideas.

Hasselbeck's ahead-of-schedule recovery and sharp performances during team workouts convinced new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp that drafting a QB wouldn't be necessary, as he told Clare Farnsworth.

Asked his initial assessment of Hasselbeck when he arrived, Knapp offered a one-word answer: “Sold.”

Though Hasselbeck's return to form brings to mind fond memories of stellar 2005 and 2007 seasons, (note the odd-numbered pattern forming here) Coach Mora & company know that every player is always one good hit away from another problem -- be it a new injury, of which the team saw plenty of last year, or re-igniting an old one. Because of the extra care the coaching staff plans to take with Hasselbeck (which is also by now no secret for opposing teams' pass rushers), it's a good thing the team went after Oregon G/C Max Unger early in the draft, and re-signed RT Ray Willis. This season, the Hawks are going to make every effort to protect their investment in Hasselbeck, who looked so sharp in May and June minicamps that his back wasn't even a question topic during interviews. Even still, that's not to say it's been ignored by the coaching staff.

“I’m always concerned about every player,” coach Jim Mora said. “But no more so with Matt than any other player.

“But, sure, it creeps into the back of your mind on occasion because he missed a lot of games last year. Any time a guy is coming off that it creeps into your mind. But I think through the course of training camp and the preseason that that will go away.”

As well as Hasselbeck needs to play this year, the offensive line needs to play even better. Walter Jones needs to continue to be the anchor at left tackle that he's been for the past 13 years, and Sean Locklear must be ready to step in at an elite level if Jones can't maintain. Chris Spencer cannot afford another injury-riddled season; nor can Rob Sims. The team also needs every last bit of effort and skill from the younger linemen, such as Steve Vallos, Unger and Mansfield Wrotto. The new zone-blocking scheme must not only play a vital role in protecting its offensive general, but also in giving the ground attack the extra boost it needs to succeed.

Many say the key to Seahawks' success rides on Hasselbeck's shoulders. While that may be, it's going to take a team effort on both sides of the ball for the team to be a contender, and to bounce back from the nightmare that was 2008.

END

Madden 2010 - Preview Week 1

2009-06-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

by: Ryan Romano

Hey guys, below is the first guest post from regular commenter Ryan. Since Madden has become such a huge part of the NFL season (like it or not), I asked Ryan to contribute a weekly preview article focusing on the new game and, in coming weeks, focusing on how the Seahawks can be expected to perform given the new game and the new roster. Enjoy!

What’s up my fellow Addicts? You have probably seen me around the SA site posting about Madden from time to time. Chris has been nice enough to let me do a few actual Madden posts as a guest writer for SA. I am guessing so I will stop hijacking his real life Seahawks topics. Where to begin as so much information has already been released since January?

There have been three big announcements so far this year regarding new additions to the game:

ProTak Interactive Physics System
Full Online Franchise
Procedural Awareness

These three, more than any other new additions to the game, will alter Madden game play. Click on to

The new ProTak system is basically a new way for the computer to generate realistic looking tackles. In Madden 09 you could tackle a running back with one to three players at a time. In Madden 10 you will be able to tackle someone with up to 9 players on a given play. You will have the ability to “steer” your tackle meaning you will be able to direct the player you are tackling toward a teammate so that he can help you make the tackle. You will also be able to hit stick a ball carrier after he is engaged with a defender, causing more fumbles. Not having played the game it is tough to tell which teams this will benefit most. I would guess that smaller faster defenses would have an advantage in getting numbers to the ball carrier quickly. Hopefully this translates well for the Seahawks defense which has been known for being undersized and fast. ProTak is the system for implementing a “fight for every yard” type football game. Running backs will be able to fight for extra yards when being solo tackled. Defenses will be able to force a player backwards till the whistle which happens all the time in real games.

Full Online Franchise was another big announcement that was released at the last E3 convention. This will allow gamers to play in 32 team full season leagues. Most have described it as similar to NCAA’s version of online franchise. There are enough options in this mode to take an entire blog post, but here are a few of the features. There can be up to 32 players in the league. You can start the league with existing teams or do a 53 round fantasy draft. The leagues go for 10 seasons. I can’t imagine a situation that would call for more as 10 seasons at 16 games a season is 160 games. The leagues I play in now usually get to about game 3 or 4 before falling apart. Leagues operate on the real schedule for next year. I will post more on Online Franchise later in the summer.

The procedural awareness updates the Madden 10 team have been working on should help the game become more realistic and give the team great base programs to build on in the future. Here is an example of what procedural awareness is trying to improve. Have you ever thrown a pass to what seems like a wide open WR, when out of nowhere a CB that had his head turned the other way, some how sees the ball through the back of his helmet, turns around in .02 seconds and picks the ball off? Me too. It is enough to make a guy go through countless broken controllers, numerous claims to never play the game again, and a generally bad feeling of getting screwed.

This is what the Madden 10 team means when they announced improvements to the player’s procedural awareness. They are improving the little things that make the game more realistic. Examples include improvements to QB play such as new QB short, mid, and deep pass accuracy ratings, slower pass speed so passes take longer to get to the WR, and a decreased effectiveness of the QB sneak. (Anyone else hate losing on a QB sneak that is basically unstoppable?) The deep ball was never a big part of the game plan when playing with Hass before, but with his low deep accuracy rating, think twice before you throw deep. True to form, the WCO short controlled passing game will be the key to winning with the Seahawks in Madden10. Our 32nd ranked running back core might play into that as well.

On the WR side of things, players will now be more aware of the side line and be more apt to drag their feet to stay inbounds. Route running has also undergone some renovation along with changes to the WR CB interaction. There have also been some improvements to the offensive and defensive line. The creation of a pocket is one of the things I am looking forward to most. Good players in the 09 game routinely roll out of the pocket to allow routes to develop and WR’s to get open. The creation of a pocket should limit player’s ability to routinely roll out.

Player momentum is a feature that should change the way running backs operate in the game. The new game will take a players speed and mass/weight into account when playing the game. I don’t even want to know what that calculation looks like, but I am sure it is complicated. Don’t let players like Brandon Jacobs get a head of steam; bigger players will be tough to tackle once they get going.

I don’t think it falls under procedural awareness but the Madden team also adjusted the finesse move/power move in Madden 10. Instead of having two buttons, one for each move, there will now be only one button for a defensive juke move. The computer will automatically pick the move that your player is best at. So when you’re rushing the QB with Curry, he will automatically do a finesse move because he has a rating of 85 fin, 76 power. Kerney on the other hand will do power moves because he has a 90 power, 79 fin.

There are a few other button changes and hopefully we will have time to go over them before the game comes out Aug 14. You can actually play the game before that by pre ordering your game at Game Stop. You then use an access code on the receipt to play a one game demo. The demo is available in late July. It is a recreation of a game we all want to forget about, SB XLIII. If you can deal with playing with one of those two teams, you can play Madden 10 a few weeks before the game comes out.

"Ground Greg"

2009-06-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey Addicts, this story's been kicking around the internet since last Wednesday, but despite my best efforts I haven't had a chance to get around to posting about it until now. Clare Farnsworth posted another nice article over at Seahawks.com that covered Greg Knapp and his and Mora's intentions for the run game in 2009. Check out the article here.

The main crux of the article is about what you'd expect from an article posted on Seahawks.com -- you aren't excited about the running game but you should be and omg here's why! Still, there were some interesting bits scattered throughout (including that John Carlson has increased his weight and lowered his body fat making him even more beastly this year). The main thing though is that it appears they are planning to use Jones and Duckett as more of a tandem than every-down/situational (respectively) backs. Justin Forsett will get a chance to actually (gasp) run the ball this year, which should excite many of the fans who remember his nice preseason last year.

So, take a look at at the article and sound off below; will Knapp work his Top-10 Rushing Offense magic again? Or will the Hawks be middle of the pack or lower?

END

Carlson Has Optimism for 2009

2009-06-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

TE John Carlson gave a nice 3-minute phone chat with ESPN recently, in which he answered the usual array of questions: Differences in coaching staff, what the team can do to improve on last year, and how the new players are going to contribute.

Carlson says TJ Houshmandzadeh (I'm finally getting used to spelling that) has been huge so far in minicamps and should be an instant contributor. He also says everyone staying healthy is going to be a must for success this year (like we didn't already know that), and if the receivers stay healthy, who knows, maybe Carlson won't be the only end-zone threat catching touchdowns this year. I only hope to see him improve on his already-impressive rookie season.

END

Top 10 Seahawk Players of the Decade

2009-06-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Mike Sando just posted (well, okay, it was yesterday morning...) a top 25 players of the decade list, and I thought, why not? Time for the Top 10 Seahawks of the Decade:

10. Cortez Kennedy - While this decade will not be considered to be one rife with Tez-struction, I would be remiss to exclude the man who is one of, if not the, best player to ever put on Seahawks green and blue. Tez only played in the 2000 season with the Hawks this decade.

9. Bobby Engram - Engram was not and is not a flashy guy, but he proved to be Mr. Reliable and never (okay, rarely) whined and moaned about being the third receiver. He turned that into a strength and became Hasselbeck's safety blanket. In addition, few Seahawks have been more out in the charity spotlight than Engram and promoting the Seahawks in doing so.

8. Kelly Jennings (just joking) - Marcus Trufant - Tru is an incredible athlete and has become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since moving over to the left side. In 2008, his numbers declined a bit but that was not largely a reflection on him so much as it is on the rest of the secondary. By the end of the 2009 season, it's likely that he'll need to move up the list a bit...

7. Mack Strong - All Mack Strong ever did was lead-block Shaun Alexander into some of the best seasons an NFL running back ever had. Strong was a background guy but a great one and, when an injury forced Mack to retire he stayed on the squad and helped Leonard Weaver to become 'The Weave.' Great guy, great fullback, great Seahawk.

6. Steve Hutchinson - Hutchinson will forever be a sore spot for the Seahawks fans and Tim Ruskell. He is the best guard in football to this day, and along with Walter Jones, is the main reason for Shaun Alexander's excellence.

5. Darrell Jackson - It's hard for me to put D-Jack up here after proving himself to be not much of a team player, but Jackson did nothing but catch (and drop) passes for his 7 seasons with the Seahawks. While Hasselbeck made him and sustained him, no one can deny he had talent and with 47 touchdown receptions and more than 6,400 receiving yards, he produced here.

4. Lofa Tatupu - Lofa won a starting spot as a rookie and immediately took over the defense, leading them to the team's only Super Bowl. Tatupu had a mediocre 2008, but he has some of the best instincts in football and he makes the guys around him better. The fact that he will be a Seahawk for the rest of his effective career is very good news.

3. Shaun Alexander - Knock Shaun all you want, by the end I was annoyed and frustrated too, but we can't forget that this guy was THE symbol of the Seattle Seahawks for the better part of this decade. Without Alexander and his toothy smile (regardless of what was happening in the game) the Seahawks would never have gotten the attention that they did. Without someone running near the top of the charts or passing there, a team can be ignored especially when they're in South Alaska. While Hasselbeck and Holmgren were the nuts and bolts of the offense's success, Alexander was the head of state.

2. Matthew Hasselbeck - There are few people as likable as Matt Hasselbeck, and fewer still more self-deprecatingly humorous. I'm hoping when he retires he takes over Jimmy Fallon's shell of a late-night show. Anyway, Hass came to Seattle in a trade as a cocky, mediocre quarterback. He was disciplined and smart and underwent a massive transformation that we now take for granted. Imagine Matt Leinart of 2008 leading the Cards to the Super Bowl. Now you're talking. Hass is the face, and the arm, of the franchise. There are injury concerns going forward based on his past, but no one can deny when you think back to the "Golden Years" of the Seahawks it is Hasselbeck and Holmgren all the way (and maybe a Sea Gal or two).

1. Walter Jones - If there has ever been a Seahawk who is a better football player or more dominant force than Cortez Kennedy, it is Walter Jones. Jones is, arguably, the most complete and best offensive lineman to ever play the game. There may never be another Walter Jones and I will forever be proud to be a Seahawks fan because this great man and great player dominated defenses in our Blue and Green.

Honorary Mentions: Michael Sinclair, Josh Brown, Jerry Rice, Julian Peterson and Robby Tobeck.
END

Another poll - which goal is most attainable?

2009-06-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

I'm on a mini-vacation so here's another quick and easy poll (Everybody loves polls, right?)

In the wake of T.J. Houshmandzadeh proclaiming on record that he and Matt Hasselbeck will both have top five seasons, dual Pro Bowls and a playoff run, it might be interesting to see what the Addicts think about the possibility of both players achieving those goals.

And don't forget about Burleson's and Tapp's earlier goals, stated via Twitter. The addicts voted Tapp's goal of 12 sacks to be more realistic than Burleson's goal of 15 touchdowns by a 60/40 margin with more than 1,000 total votes.

END

Housh and the Hype

2009-06-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

I'm all for the team setting lofty goals for themselves going into training camp, but one should use caution before setting the bar too high.

TJ Houshmandzadeh may have stepped into dangerous recently when he went on record with The Sporting News's Denis Dillon and proclaimed the following:

“I just want to let everyone know that Matt Hasselbeck and I will be leading the Seahawks to the playoffs this season,” Houshmandzadeh proclaims. “And we’ll be going to the Pro Bowl as a tandem. We’re both going to have top five seasons: He’ll have a top five quarterback season, and I’ll have a top five receiving season. I’ll put up stats I’ve never had before yards-wise because they’re allowing me to be a complete receiver.”

While I can't fault Housh for the vote of confidence and positive outlook going into the season, I have a tendency to cringe when players come out of the gates and make bold predictions before a single game is played.

It's all too reminiscent of Lofa's five-shutout prediction, but not quite as ridiculous as Isaac Bruce claiming the 49ers would score six touchdowns per game last year. (Or was it seven? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)

Still, I don't see Housh turning into a clone of another certain receiver whose first name begins with "T" and ends in "Owens," as the above comments seem to be sparked out of confidence rather than arrogance.

But hype is one thing, and you can believe whatever talking head you wish -- be it a player, coach or analyst. But what I find most hilarious about this story is PFT's Mike Florio bringing on the Hatorade by the gallon here:

Maybe the truth is that no one in Seattle in inclined to gush over [Houshmandzadeh] based on what he did as Ochocinco’s second fiddle, and that they want to see whether T.J. can get it done with the Seahawks. Or maybe they’re simply no longer impressed by big-name receivers who seem to disappear once they suit up for the Seahawks.

Really, Florio? Deion Branch is one thing, but DJ Hackett and Darrell Jackson's careers sure flourished after they left, didn't they? And we can't forget Koren Robinson and how his stats totally inflated with Green Bay after a career year in 2002 with the Seahawks? And Bobby Engram's career year in 2007 when he stepped up as Hasselbeck's most consistent target? Yes, all of Seattle's receivers fade into total obscurity once they suit up here. Clearly, it's outrageous to think otherwise.

Getting back to the original point, let's be realistic here -- even while I'm confident Houshmandzadeh can produce, he now has to put his money where his mouth is. And since he now has plenty of money (as if he didn't before), 2009 will be time for him to put up or shut up.

END

Madden 2010 Drinks the Hatorade

2009-06-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

The annual Madden 2010 ratings are out on a player-by-player basis and the Madden folks were pretty tough on the Seahawks this year. While Housh (91) and Carlson (87) can't help but smile at their ratings, Branch (79) and Burleson (74) are not likely smiling from ear to ear. A 74 for a guy who, coming off a 9-TD season, tore his ACL. Does that make him that much worse than the ~83-85 he was last year?

Oh, and who is our best running back? Justin Griffith of course, with a 77. #2? Owen Schmitt. Yep, our top two running threats are our FULLBACKS. Come on. Jones, Forsett and Duckett round out those five. Hasselbeck was awarded an 84, but that's understandable after his terrible year in 2008. Wallace was given a 69, a pretty low rating for someone who only got better throughout last year. To compare, Matt "Beer Bong" Leinart was given a 68.

Tatupu, Walter Jones, Patrick Kerney, and Housh were the only players in the 90s. While that's a pretty fair list, I would have to say that Trufant (88) deserves to be up there too. Mike Wahle was given an 88 as well, but while he was better than many of us give him credit for, he was no 88. Ray Willis is the second-lowest scoring O-Lineman for the Hawks with a 65. Did they see him play? Not a stud, but again, not a 65.

The lowest rated Seahawk was--really inexplicably, I would say--Kevin Hobbs, who was given a 40. Now, we are of course privy to a lot of the insider camp info and such that Madden folks would have no reason to pay mind to, but Hobbs seems like an up and comer who, if not for Wilson stepping up last year, may well have found himself on the field more often. A 40 is very, very low. The only other guy in the 40s was Jeff Rowe.

Biggest outrage of the day though?

Brandon Mebane - 71.

VENT.

END

Runaway Beer Truck Gets Pulled Over

2009-06-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Everyone's favorite mohawked Seahawk, Owen Schmitt, was pulled over and arrested Saturday in Black Diamond, WA, for suspicion of drunk driving.

Schmitt blew BAC levels of .151 and .161, according to Washington State Patrol records. The legal limit in this state is .08, so the name "Runaway Beer Truck" is unfortunately all too applicable for this situation. As one commenter in Danny O'Neil's story put it, "he was Schmitt-faced." Pretty much.

On the plus side, there was no accident, nobody was hurt, and Schmitt seems genuinely remorseful of his actions. The team released a statement from him today: "I sincerely apologize to the team, the NFL, the fans and my family and friends for my actions and my poor judgment," Schmitt said.

"I fully understand the seriousness of this matter, and I am disappointed in myself. I am committed to earning back the trust of everyone affected."

I just hope the rest of the team can stay off the police blotter through the summer and report to camp on time.

Schmitt's arraignment is scheduled for July 8. If Schmitt's legal problems accumulate, this means more reps for Justin Griffith, which might not be such a bad thing anyway. However, I'd still like to see Schmitt contribute.

END

Which Is More Likely: Burleson with 15 TDs or Tapp with 12 Sacks?

2009-06-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg
Last year before the season began Tatupu predicted five shutouts. You don't even have to look at game scores to realize that didn't happen because Seattle only won four games.

This year, Burleson and Tapp both publicly set some lofty goals via Twitter.

Here's a quick write-up I did on their playfully bold claims.

If you don't have a mouse or are too lazy to click, Burleson said 15 touchdowns, while Tapp fired back with 12 sacks.

So Addicts, which goal is more attainable, Burleson's or Tapp's?

END

Hawks Will Play Against Favre One More Time

2009-06-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

According to NBC Sports, legendary QB-turned-assclown Brett Favre has agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Now, football fans across the nation will once again be subjected to the media saturation of Favre's ridiculously drama-filled twilight to an otherwise brilliant career. You'll hear about how "Favre still has it in him" and how much the younger quarterbacks in Minnesota will now have the tutelage of a legend. You'll hear about how the Vikings finally have a legitimate threat under center (a point I'm questioning but will no less certainly be brought up), and best of all, you'll see images of No.4 green-and-yellow jerseys being ceremoniously burned outside of Lambeau Field for days on end.

And let's not forget why this all matters to the Seahawks -- the Vikings are hosting Seattle on Sunday, Nov. 22 at Minneapolis.

I seriously hope this is the last time football nation has to deal with this laughable saga of Favre's successive un-retirements. I don't think I can take anymore of this crap.

If we see John Madden coming back out of retirement following this story, I'm fleeing the country.

EDIT: Apparently Favre's agent has been denying claims of a deal with the Vikings, but there's plenty of reason to believe otherwise. Is this ever really going to end??

END

Unger, Reed got out just in time

2009-06-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

The University of Oregon is no stranger to uniform changes. In the last 11 years, they've had 7 complete reformations of their Unis including new uniforms in each of the last three seasons -- make that four.

The Ducks have come up with what can only be described as... well... hmm. This:

Now, while none of those are particularly awesome, take a look at the one on the far right. Holy Crap. Are they the Ducks or the Fightin' Canaries? Maybe the Rough and Tumble Bumbles? Further, they took their somewhat awesome green -- the only redeeming quality of the 2008 Ducks uniforms -- and turned it into a Chalkboard. The White with Silver just doesn't make any sense at all. I am awestruck.

What do you think are the worst uniforms in sports? Doesn't matter the sport, the level, or even if its current. Include a picture if at all possible (just link the pic).

END

Top 15 Seahawks for 2009

2009-06-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Danny O'Neil had the great idea to rank the Seahawks by level of importance -- a sort of intra-squad Power Rankings. He's working on his, but I figured I'd toss one together because I love the idea. Here's a top 15 for you guys, I encourage you to do the same!

1) Matt Hasselbeck - Hate to be so cliche and name the QB the most important player on the team, but uh, who else would it be? Hass is the leader of the team and must be the pointman for this to be a wining team. Unquestionably the top pick. Also, he is bald.

2) Lofa Tatupu - From QB to QB of the Defense, Tatupu must play well for the defense to perform. He is the spiritual and, typically, tackle leader of the defense and his instinct for the game drives the rest of the defense.

3) Walter Jones -- Wow, it's like a list of "Top Fan Jerseys," isn't it? Well, Jones is important and will continue to be important. The left tackle position is key and Jones' health is another pivot point of 2009. If he is healthy, we are good to go.

4) To-be-determined Left Guard -- As important and skilled as Walter Jones is, he isn't half as good without a solid left guard as we learned in 2006 and 2007. When Wahle lined up next to him last year, he was his old self again. When Wahle was injured, Jones dropped off markedly and eventually succumbed to an injury of his own (likely unrelated, but hey, whatever). Be it Wahle or his replacement -- Wrotto? Willis? the Left Guard will be almost as important as the left tackle this year.

5) Brandon Mebane - The Defensive Line will be the absolute key to the defense this year. Mebane is shifting to 3-tech and will be expected to routinely get pressure on the quarterback. His ability to adapt to his new position is key. I'm not worried about Colin Cole's ability to fill space and take up two blockers because he is absolutely gigantic. I believe Mebane is the anchor of the defense for years to come and should see his first pro-bowl berth this year.

6) Patrick Kerney - The Seahawks have not added a second star edge-rusher yet, so on Kerney's shoulders it rests. Jackson, Redding, Tapp and Atkins will all be relied upon but the expectations are somewhat low. Kerney and Mebane will be relied upon to get our pass rush going and failure to do so will likely result in another awful season.

7) Julius Jones - Again, this is ranking based on importance, not skill. Jones absolutely must step up and become what he has yet to in his career (think Thomas Jones last year). The Seahawks are relying on Jones to get, at minimum, 1,000 yards next year and probably more like 1,400. He was not given a chance next year, but he also did not really shine when put in the spotlight. This is make or break for him. Failure to meet expectations and he will be out on his booty in 2010.

8) TJ Houshmandzadeh - This is, of course, in conjunction with Matt Hasselbeck, but Housh is slotted to be the go-to offensive threat. If Housh can't put up numbers similar to Engram's in 2007, he will be viewed as an expensive disappointment. We're not calling for 15 TDs and 2,000 yards, but he must impress. I think he will, but time will tell.

9) Aaron Curry -- Is he the 9th most important guy on the team? Not necessarily, but the future of this defense is tied to Curry's ability to be a jack of all trades and a master of all. He is an every down player and will be asked to get pressure on the quarterback from time to time, drop into coverage quite frequently, and smash the facemask off many-a-tailback.

10) Brian Russell -- Why is Russell more important than the rest of the secondary? He's not. But you guys think he is more responsible (perhaps he is), so he is the most important in the sense that he must improve the most. Russell has to learn the scheme and play it perfect technically. He is in charge of watching personnel and adjusting the defense accordingly, but don't believe for a second that he is not instantly disposable if the Hawks are getting pressure and still failing to contain the pass. 2010 is the year of the safety draft with the top two safeties in at least 5 years coming out -- Eric Berry and Taylor Mays.

11) Chris Spencer -- The center is key and actually will be taking on more responsibilities in the zone blocking scheme that Knapp is using for the Hawks. Spencer has been a mediocre center with some upside remaining, but he's being followed by Max Unger and Steve Vallos who both have a ton of upside and smaller paychecks. This is make or break for Spencer in a contract year. Look for him to be pulled in favor of Unger by Week 4 if he has not stepped up fully. The linecalls will be essential in the ZBS and that is where Spencer has always suffered.

12) Ken Lucas -- If this were by skill, Trufant would be in the top 5 or 6, but it's not, its by importance. Trufant is a known quantity, Lucas, less so. We need Ken Lucas to come in and prevent the big play against the big recievers -- here's lookin' at you, L-Fitz. Josh Wilson will be breathing down Lucas' neck all season and in 2008 made great strides technically. Can Lucas stave him off? This competition should be excellent for the defense.

13) Cory Redding -- The Hybrid D-lineman, Redding has every reason in the world to have the best season of his career. He is on a one-year contract with the Seahawks after spurning the last four (or three?) years of his Lions contract for less money on a better team. He will be a free agent in 2010. Anyway, Redding plays heavily into the D-Line's plans as a hybrid DE/DT who will be expected to pressure the quarterback whenever he's on the field. Are you getting any sense that pressure will be important in 2009? Just checking.

14) Jim Mora -- Oops, almost forgot the coach. Okay, okay, he's not a player, but its impossible to overlook him in year one. Mora must come in and lead the team with authority, set the tone for the team in both wins and losses, and continue to imbue the players with energy from week 1 to 17 (and beyond). Don Wakamatsu is doing a good job of this right now, but hopefully a little less micromanaging from Mora and more awesome press conferences like his Pa.

15) John Carlson -- What can I say, no Seahawks list is complete without John Carlson anymore. Think Houshmandzadeh's role but trickier and with more blocking. Carlson has the ability to get open against the best players in the league, and should demand a lot moer attention than your typical TE. If he can bolster his blocking to the next level, he's en route to a Pro Bowl in 2009 or 10.

END

Rookies Going the Extra Mile

2009-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

On June 12, Coach Mora and company sent the boys in blue on a six-week vacation until training camp starts, but the 12 new Seahawks rookies are taking some extra time at a place a little closer to home: the VMAC.

Monday marked the start to the second week of a rookies-only offseason conditioning program, led by strength & conditioning coach Mike Clark and assistant Darren Krein. The program is geared toward not only solidifying camaraderie amongst the dozen new players, but most importantly to make up for lost time -- there were two minicamps the rookies didn't participate in, held just before and after the draft. Aaron Curry put it best:

“We’re already at a disadvantage just being rookies,” said Curry, a linebacker from Wake Forest and the team’s first-round draft choice. “The vets had an extra minicamp that we didn’t participate in.”

The program is being closely monitored by Clark, who is taking the time to individually rate each player's progress and ability in a variety of different areas of training. And, appropriately, the program was preempted by Coach Mora taking the rookies up his infamous Tiger Mountain run last Friday.

Mora presented each player with a rock from the mountain to display in their lockers "to remind them they made it to the top." There were no reports of vomiting by any of the players on the way up, so this is either one tough group of rookies, or Patrick Kerney is now handling team PR duties.

Speaking of Mora and his infamous adventures, more pictures from his jaunt with Bryce Fisher aboard an FC-135 refueling jet can be found here, at photographer Rod Mar's blog. The pictures are breathtaking and definitely worth a look.

END

What are your top moments of the decade?

2009-06-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

My first "real" post was sort of a downer so hopefully this one will at least draw a few grins.

Sports Illustrated recently named Seattle the no. 10 ranked team of the decade. To commemorate the most successful decade in Seahawks history (and because there's nothing else to write about) we ran a series over at Next Season Sports detailing the top ten moments of the decade.

Here is my list:

10 - "We want the ball, and we're gonna score."
9 - Alexander breaks the record for touchdowns in a half
8 - Jay Feely blows three field goals, Seattle wins in overtime
7 - Qwest Field opens for business
6 - Holmgren trades for Green bay's backup quarterback
5 - Romo botches the snap
4 - Ruskell selects Lofa Tatupu in the second round
3 - Hasselbeck leads fourth-quarter comeback against Chargers in 2002
2 - Alexander is named league's most valuable player
1 - Seahawks reach the Super Bowl

So Addicts, what would your list be for the top ten moments of the decade? Or if you're old enough, top ten moments of the franchise's history?

Or maybe you want to just re-arrange my list? Have at it.

END

Complete Roster Breakdown (So Far)

2009-06-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Never one to be outdone, Eric Williams at The Tacoma News-Tribune has posted a complete roster analysis/breakdown through what he's seen at training camp so far. He also describes what the key position battles are likely going to be this summer, bringing names into the fold that often get lost over the buzz and excitement of top-tier draft picks and big free agent signings.

Since running back seems to be a huge point of contention so far in 2009, here's what Williams has to say:

Number kept last season: Six
Currently on roster: Eight.
Average number kept since 2002: 5.5
Locks: T.J. Duckett, Julius Jones, Justin Forsett, Owen Schmitt, Justin Griffith.
In the hunt: Devin Moore, David Kirtman
Longer odds: Dan Curran
Comment – Both head coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp believe the team has enough depth at running back on the roster right now. Jones will be counted on to be the main ball carrier, while Duckett and Forsett will play complimentary roles. Schmitt and Griffith will compete for the starting fullback spot. Griffith has experience on his side, having played in Knapp’s offense in both Atlanta and Oakland. But Schmitt seemed to be picking up the scheme quickly during camp and certainly has the physical tools to excel at the position. Moore, a guy with good speed through the hole, is likely headed for the practice squad.

Williams' observations on Jones and Grifftih are correct - Julius needs to prove he can be a consistent three-down back, and Griffith will give the Runaway Beer Truck a serious run for his money for the starting job at fullback. Personally, I'll be happy just to see Duckett used as more than a completely one-dimensional short-yardage specialist. That was one of the things that drove me absolutely insane about the stagnancy of the offense last year -- Holmgren seemed to have his typical, predictable list of role players that were underutilized. Looking back, it's never a good sign when the coach of the team comes out before the season and publicly declares, "we don't how to use this guy," especially after he shows he can go the distance through the hole in preseason.

Other notions worth mentioning from Williams here:

-DBs coach Tim Lewis saying that this is the most talented group he's ever worked with in his NFL career

-Billy McMullen and Ben Obomanu getting the 5th and 6th WR jobs (I agree with the Obo contention, not with McMullen)

-Jon Ryan remains the team's lock for punter at the current time, but Williams says he may have some competition brought in during camp. There isn't another punter on the roster as of now, but I don't see why the team wouldn't at least bring in some competition.

-About the offensive line: Unger is apparently coming along very well in the second unit, but my gut feeling tells me he'll overtake Chris Spencer at center eventually. It might not happen this year, but Spencer can't afford another injury. Williams says if Jones and Wahle stay healthy, the team has enough depth here. While I'd be inclined to agree, I still want to see more from the backup group that protected Seneca Wallace so effectively against the Jets in the snow last year.

The current Seahawks depth chart can be found here.

END

No news is good news?

2009-06-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Well, that's what my dad always said. Still, this lack of Seahawks news is driving me crazy and I'm sure I'm not alone. While we will continue bringing everything we can to the forefront, and working on some non-news related analyses, I think I am going to be shifting my focus to improving the website.

If you've got tips or suggestions on how we can improve the site, please leave them below. We're open. I am definitely going to try to bring a forum to the site as a lot of you seemed to enjoy that. It will be difficult to integrate the two though, so if you've got ideas on how to do that let me know.

Blah blah blah. Happy Fathers Day to all you dads out there.

END

Schrager: "I don't want to hear the Seahawks fans crying about this list, That team was terrible last year."

2009-06-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, as expected, received numerous emails complaining about his top 99 list, which apparently had a a lot of the football community up in arms.

"My email box took a beating the next day," Schrager said.

Only one Seahawk made the list, Housh at no. 68.

He responded to fan questions and comments in a FoxSports.com video and addressed a Seattle fan's question.

Here's a link to the video.

Here are the key quotes from Schrager about Seahawk omissions:

The Seahawks, did not love what they did last year and I'm not sure if I'm gonna' love what they do this year. To be honest I got T.J. Houshmandzadeh in there as the no. 68 player, he's the only Seahawk on the list. That defense was atrocious last year. So you're throwing me Tatupu and Hill, even Patrick Kerney? These guys were not good last year. They're banged up, they're old. Not Tatupu so much but the other guys.

I mean I don't know if they're top 99 players. If anyone's a top 99 player on that defense, it's Aaron Curry the first round pick and I think he's going to be great and an impact player this season. I don't want to hear the Seahawks fans crying about this list, That team was terrible last year. Banged up with injuries, sure, but really just did not even show up in the 2008 season. Let's see if they can change that in 2009.

As a Seahawk fan, Schrager's arguments seem a little off.

For one, he seems to be using the 2008 season as the sole barometer to gauge the Seahawks, which is unfair because he didn't stick to 2008 with a lot of the other players on the list.

Walter Jones is still one of the best in the league, Tatupu has been to the Pro Bowl every year except one and Hasselbeck, in my opinion, has to be one of the top 13 QB's in the league. And how about Trufant?

By not at least putting Jones or Tatupu in the list, Schrager rightfully lost credibility among the Seahawk faithful.

So what do the addicts thing about Schrager's defense?

END

Offense may be "hard to watch"

2009-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

It's third and eight at the Cardinals game last year deep in our own territory. The guy sitting next to me turns and says, "Holmgren's gonna' run the draw," in a disappointed sort of tone.

As expected, Hasselbeck hands it off and whoever got the ball after that runs into a brick wall.

The fan sitting next to me can only bury his face in his hands and slump in his seat like every other fan in the stadium.

That's hard to watch.

Greg Knapp can be notoriously conservative. He also loves to run the ball and has said he'll aim for a 50/50 pass/rush ratio.

Run game
Statistics show Knapp teams succeed running the ball. (Numbers indicated league rank)

Graphic by Jeff Richards / NSS

Passing. Ehhhhh, not so much. OK, so there wasn't much he could do in Oakland the last two seasons or when he was with Vick and the Falcons. But, he had Jeff Garcia throwing to T.O. with the Niners and still only managed middle of the pack numbers.

Here's where the frustrating part might come into play. We all know Hasselbeck can lead an offense almost on his own (see 2007 season). The fact is, our current offense is built for the pass.

Nothing, NOTHING about our running game is proven. Quite the opposite, it's been a weakness since 2006. Now we're implementing a new running game with the zone blocking scheme.

My worry is we won't see Knapp fully utilizing Seattle's deadly WR corps, and that could be a bit frustrating to watch, especially with such an average (if not below average), trio of RB's.

Dave the Falconer of the Falcoholic wrote a guest column about Greg Knapp on my Web site a few months ago. Here's an excerpt: (edited, because for some reason the excerpt didn't publish)

"While he might have been remembered more fondly had he simply been in charge of play calling for our running game--which was quite good the entire time he was in Atlanta--his refusal to adjust for the personnel he already had got him in a lot of trouble"

And it appears that's what's already happening, with this "50/50" nonsense. Sure the mantra looks good in writing, but we already know we can pass the ball and go to the playoffs. Why not tip the balance to cater to the players on the field?

Reasons for optimism
Hope springs eternal in Seahawk Nation. There's plenty reason for optimism this year.

Julius Jones showed why we picked him up last year early on in the season, shining against the Niners and Rams. It was a glimpse at what could have been had fortune's coin flipped the other way. T.J. Duckett showed he was the downhill runner he was paid to be and even proved he could break one open. Both Duckett and Jones also gladly and more than adequately pay their dues blocking, which is huge for Matt.

Justin Forsett? Well, much has been said about the preseason wonder and there's not much else to say. He's fun to watch when he's up against third stringers and running behind our deep offensive line. Still, he's got good instincts.

As for the passing game, I don't think we have to worry too much about those guys because the top three players are tried and true. But, as with any team, the key WRs (Branch and Burleson) will have to avoid catastrophic injury.

END

Picture of the Day

2009-06-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Captions? Photoshop? Do your worst, Addicts! Hat tip to the follow-worthy SeahawksSpin.

END

Morrah Gets a 4-Year Deal

2009-06-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

According to the Seahawks' official Twitter site, the team has just signed TE Cameron Morrah to a 4-year deal.

No other details are available at this time, but scratch another one off the list.

END

Hello Seahawk Addicts

2009-06-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

by: Aaron Weinberg

I'm not very good at introductions so I'll just get to it.

My name is Aaron Weinberg and Chris Sullivan asked me to write for the blog.

Some of you might already know me by reading Next Season Sports, a Seattle sports news Web site that I publish. There, I'll continue to cover Seahawks and Sounders FC news.

Here, I'll post my thoughts, musings and crazy ideas as they come to me.

To get started, here is a brief list of random things I believe about the current Seahawks:
1. The success of the 2009 defense largely depends on line play
2. Matt Hasselbeck has only two years left to run the offense
3. Brian Russell isn't as bad as everyone says he is
4. The offense will be tough to watch in 2009 (Greg Knapp)
5. Seattle will beat the Colts in Indy
6. This will be Walter Jones' final season due to injury
7. Seattle still could have won the division last year
8. The defense will be vastly improved
9. Kerney will play at least 13 games
10. Undefeated at home for 2009 (gotta' believe!)

Glad to be writing here.

END

Revitalized Mora Ready for Another Shot

2009-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Steve Wyche at NFL.com has put up a great story and video revolving around all things Jim Mora.

By now, we're all pretty familiar with the man we've come to know as the new Seahawks head coach. We know he's has his past success, failures and learning experiences largely as head coach of the 2004-2006 Atlanta Falcons, with the high point of that stint coming in 2004. (His first year with the team. Hint hint?)

It could've gone better, of course, as the 2004 conference championship game ended in a loss for the Falcons. But in a first year as a head coach of a franchise not exactly known for high-flying success until that point, that's admirable.

Wyche also takes a more personal look at Mora, and why the decision came down from Falcons owner Arthur Blank to cut ties with him.

In firing Mora, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Mora's mistakes -- such as violating league rules by using a team employee's cell phone during a game against Tampa Bay to check on playoff scenarios, riding to a team event in cornerback DeAngelo Hall's sports car, and that fateful radio interview -- were reparable. Just not in Atlanta. If only Blank knew then that Mora's firing was just the first push of the snowball that only grew worse with the hiring of Bobby Petrino, the downfall of Michael Vick and the implosion of his team that prompted Petrino to quit during the season.

Atlanta didn't know what a great thing it had until it went away, if you ask me. Mora's focus is perfectly aligned with that of Tim Ruskell, and this is glaringly obvious for two reasons that coincide:

-Ruskell and Holmgren weren't in agreement about many decisions being made with the team;

-Ruskell and Mora are both in a "win-now" frame of mind.

Mora also has the added advantage of working with a few familiar faces on his second go-round as a head coach, including FB Justin Griffith and DE Patrick Kerney. The chemistry picked up right where it left off, and the players who hadn't played for Mora before now are getting a taste of how infectious the man's energy and attitude really are.

Mora himself is humbled, he says, by the chance to give coaching in the NFL another shot.

"I've had opportunities to coach elsewhere the past two years, even head-coaching opportunities, but had I stepped right back into a head-coaching spot, I wouldn't be as humbled as I am and I don't think I'd be as prepared as I feel now," Mora said. "When I say humbled, it's not in a way where I lack confidence. I just don't think I'd be as aware of the pitfalls of the things that could happen, still, if I hadn't gone through what I have in the past."

Even if you don't have time to read the entire story today, I'd recommend any Hawks fan watch the video. Consider it one small echo of the roar of the 12th Man at Qwest Field, but an equally resounding and satisfying echo no less.

END

Capt. Bryce Fisher Takes Mora, Others on Memorable Ride

2009-06-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Capt. Bryce Fisher of the Washington Air National Guard -- better known as a former DE for the Rams and Seahawks -- took to the skies with some Seattle players, coaches and familiars Wednesday.

Their mission? A simple refueling exercise in a KC-135 jet. It was a fairly routine deal for Fisher, now retired out of the NFL and pursuing a life he envisioned for himself after football. But for the day's honorary crew members, it was a sight unlike any they'd ever seen.

On board the refueling jet for the day's mission were Seahawks head coach Jim Mora, strength coach Mike Clark, tight ends John Carlson and Joe Newton, and ESPN's NFC West writer, Mike Sando.

Two excellent pictures of the day's event can be found on Sando's Facebook page, taken by former Seattle Times photographer Rod Mar. (Speaking as a former Times writer/photographer, I miss those days myself.)

Carlson said being along for the ride was an unforgettable experience.

"If I make a mistake on a route, I might drop a ball or there might be an interception," tight end John Carlson said. "If they make a mistake, it might be life or death. It really puts it into perspective."

The KC-135 even had a Seahawks logo painted on its tail. How's that for a dedicated fanbase?

END

Could a 3-4 Defense Work in Seattle?

2009-06-17T09:39:00.001-07:00

By Chris Sullivan

After hearing yesterday that Aaron Curry has been taking some practice snaps at Defensive End, I started thinking about the Seahawks defense might look in years to come (I'm not sure why -- Curry would undoubtedly remain a LB if the Hawks did move to a 3-4, but whatever). We have noted before on here that a number of the new defensive coaches have some, if not most, of their experience operating from a 3-4 defense. Do the Seahawks have the pieces to run a hybrid 4-3/3-4 defense?

The Line

The Seahawks bolstered their defensive line this year by adding nose tackle Colin Cole and Defensive End / DT Cory Redding. They also made an attempt to acquire Chris Canty, the standout 3-4 DE from Dallas. If the Hawks were looking to move to a 3-4 defense, these two additions would seem to be key. I imagine the line would be Cory Redding - Colin Cole - Patrick Kerney/Lawrence Jackson. Jackson has the ability to slide in and play DT in 4-3 and has the size (and frame to add more bulk) that you look for in a 3-4 End.

The problem here is that Cole would be the main cog on the defensive line in the 3-4. The Hawks will not intentionally take Brandon Mebane out for more than a few plays each drive. Though Mebane has proven that he can be a very good nose tackle, it appears that his best fit is in the three-tech position. If he can get 6.5 sacks with two blockers on him just wait until next year, right?

The Linebackers

Well, not a whole lot changes here. OLBs will remain Curry and Hill and they will likely continue their less-than-typical lineup with the Weakside--Hill--being the dominant pass-rusher and Curry dropping into coverage more frequently against the TE on the strongside. The roles are fluid though, as both Hill and Curry will be asked to cover and to rush the passer. Inside Linebackers would be Tatupu (obviously) who would remain the QB of the defense, and likely DD Lewis or Will Herring. Herring brings cover skills that none of the other linebackers can match, which would take some of the pressure off the OLBs despite that not frequently being the main role of the ILBs. Lewis and Tatupu are both good against the run, so they would likely be the guys.

Long Run Prospects?

I'd say that the likelihood of us seeing a lot of 3-4 is fairly minimal this year. The guys are learning an all-new system anyway, so throwing wrinkles in doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Still, in the coming years it would present an opportunity for the Seahawks to show another look to offenses and to bring the versatility that we keep hearing about to another level. In order for the Seahawks to flash a lot of 3-4 in coming years, the two positions that would need to be filled are a second Inside Linebacker with a rush-stopping specialty and a second large defensive end to fill in for the likely-departing Cory Redding.

What are your thoughts? Where am I wrong?

Still No Contract for Morrah

2009-06-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Since the Seahawks mistakenly announced the signing of 7th-round pick TE Cameron Morrah a week ago, things have been quiet ever since. For Morrah, at least.

The mistaken announcement came wedged between the signings of former Oregon DE Nick Reed and former Rutgers teammates QB Mike Teel and S Courtney Greene. Since Teel was a 6th-round pick, one has to wonder what happened with Morrah. Teams normally go in a backwards-progression style when it comes to signing new draft picks, saving the top-tier picks for last. And seeing how Morrah's fellow 7th-rounders already have deals in place, it's kind of strange as to why there was a mistake in the initial announcement and then dead silence on the matter for the following seven days. (Seven seems to be the unlucky number at work here. And that joke was almost as bad as one of Sullivan's.)

Morrah entered the draft as a junior, coming out of Cal. His production rose dramatically from the 2007 to 2008 seasons, which likely bolstered his confidence and drove him to declare for the draft before finishing school. Everyone has their own opinion on that topic, but I'm hoping immaturity isn't a factor with Morrah's curious situation. If he's a 7th-round pick holding out for 6th-rounder money, we may be looking at a bit of a problem before we even realize it.

Hopefully that's not the case. Even with John Carlson, Joe Newton and John Owens already on the team, there would be room for another tough pass-catching tight end in Greg Knapp's offense. Knapp has already said he's going to be utilizing a lot of two-TE sets with the new system, so the issue isn't a matter of Morrah fitting in with the roster.

Whatever it is, I hope it's just a minor setback and not the onset to some dispute that's being kept behind closed doors for now. In all seriousness, I doubt that's what's happening, but one can't help but speculate when these things arise. (Though I admit the fact that there's very little else to pay attention to in Seahawk news lately also helps.)

END

Aaron Curry: Pass Rusher

2009-06-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

That's the word coming down from Renton today, as the No.4-overall pick has reportedly spent lots of time rushing the passer in minicamps.

Curry has been able to effectively get to the quarterback in recent practices at the VMAC, but this is all happening, of course, without any pads on. Things could see something of a drastic shift in either direction once training camp gets underway.

Still, Curry recently told Mitch Levy on KJR that he "plays linebacker and defensive end." If that's the case and translates well into the preseason games, it'll be interesting to see how often the Seahawks utilize his skills on passing downs. The added versatility can't hurt, but how crowded is defensive end going to get? Kerney, Tapp, Lo-Jack and Nick Reed are already on the roster, with Cory Redding expected to put in some time on the outside to boot. Can Curry's pass rush ability really shine through, even above his exceptional skills at linebacker?

Still, the team drafted him to play linebacker, and I imagine that's where he'll spend the majority of his time. Who says he can't become the next Julian Peterson anyway? (And possibly even surpass him?)

END

Cards Fans On the Defensive?

2009-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

It would appear that Cardinal fans have gone on the offensive with regards to their impending Super Bowl hangover season. Mike Sando's recent mailbag had reader Brad from New York writing in to make a case that Seahawk Nation is going to vehemently disagree with:

Brad from New York writes: I find it quite amusing that Rams, Seahawks and 49ers fans comment on the lack of Cardinals-related questions. As a "life-long" Cardinals fan [who grew up in NYC and lived through more Giant beatdowns than you can imagine], allow me to help these disgruntled fans better understand the reality of the NFC West.

1) There is no team in the division that can stop our offense, period. Break it down all you want, but the Cardinals will never be out of a game.

2) The Cards have a playmaking defense. Do they give up a lot of points and suffer from mind-lapses? Yes. But again, no team in the division can match the pick-6 ability that the Cards employ, not to mention their ability to force fumbles. These abilities can not be underestimated.

3) The Cardinals are the only team with a solidified coach in Ken Whisenhunt. All three other coaches are either new, fill-ins or inexperienced. The Cardinals know what to expect and how to handle their business.

These points add up to a single premise -- the Cardinals will barely be challenged for the 2009 NFC West crown. We don't really have a lot of questions. Sorry, guys.

Sando replied with the following:

Barely be challenged? That was last season. Here's hoping we have a division race to analyze come December.

I think Brad here is conveniently leaving out a slew of question marks in Cardinal-ville, including the fact that their offensive coordinator took a head coaching job in Kansas City. I'm predicting his absence will be felt, especially in light of the comments Kurt Warner made just after his departure about the chemistry they had. Plus, Warner's ability to perform at such a high level as last year remains a point of speculation. In a year where all the QB question marks seem to be thrown at Hasselbeck and his health, (which are admittedly valid for now), no one seems to be mentioning anything about Warner pushing 40 and working with a brand-new offensive coordinator.

Also, there were times last year when the Cardinals' defense just fell asleep at the wheel. The blowouts at the hands of the Vikings and Patriots that wound down the Cards' 2008 season are direct examples of this suspect area of the team. No Cards fan can make the argument that Leinart's two fumbles under center in the snow at New England were to blame -- allowing 47 points with a secondary featuring Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson just should not happen.

And let's not forget about Anquan Boldin's and Karlos Dansby's contract-related issues the Cardinals still causing drama. Boldin has said he wants a trade and hasn't reported to any of Arizona's offseason activities thus far.

Furthermore, while Ken Whisenhunt may be the only returning head coach in the NFC West this year, the entire coaching staff beneath him basically conducted a mass exodus after the season was over. I realize the Seahawks are in the same category here, as special teams coach Bruce DeHaven is one of the only remaining pieces of the Holmgren-era regime still active with the team, so this situation could go either way for either team. But it depends on chemistry, morale and a heap of other issues that will take shape as the season goes on. I'd give the advantage here to Jim Mora & company, simply because he's brought former cohorts such as Greg Knapp to Seattle.

All in all, I think Sando's right when he says this season's NFC West crown could be a much tougher race than it has in years past. The Cards are undoubtedly a good team on paper, as are the Seahawks. The 49ers also seem to have something resembling a pulse now that Mike Singletary is at the helm, but the Rams are still looking at a long road back to credibility.

Either way, I presume the Cardinals will not "barely be challenged" in 2009.

END

I Saw Hawks

2009-06-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Well, I figured I might as well give a bit of a wrap-up of yesterday's day. The wife and I headed out to Tacoma to check out Bobby Engram's softball game. There were a ton of Seahawks (and other NFL players) there including an unplanned appearance by Lofa Tatupu who basically filled in for the no-show Aaron Curry. More on that later.

Then we headed back into Seattle for the Pro Shop partayyy starring all the rookies (less Unger). That was good times too. So, who did I bump into and what were my impressions? I'm glad I asked. I mean you. Asked.

Colin Cole -- okay, so, technically this was yesterday but I held off on reporting because there's not a whole lot to say. Cole was 40 minutes late (boo), but came pushing a stroller with his wife and kids in tow. Extra points for bringing them all there. Cole himself was a mountain of a man and honestly looked like about 95% muscle. I made no efforts to invoke his ire.

Nate Burleson -- the first of the day, my eagle-eyed wife saw Burleson pre-autograph table and he seemed like an awesome guy, gave everyone autographs and took pictures and looked genuinely happy doing so. One guy mentioned that the only jersey he had was Nasty Nate's, which he definitely thought was rad, which was, y'know, rad.

Darryl Tapp -- Seemed like a great guy, we again caught him pre-table as he was arriving (the wife's eyes again). He was in a hurry, but was happy to walk and give autographs, which he did for the three or four of us who noticed him. Couldn't have been nicer. He swung by our section and spoke with a few fans for about 3-5 minutes.

Leonard "The Weave" Weaver -- generous with his time and was very gracious, said nothing bad about the organization when some people were basically trying to get him to. "It's business, I loved it here, I'll love it in Philadelphia, I just love football." He appreciated my "Church Van" reference.

Marcus Trufant -- Got mobbed by fans as he was arriving but was incredibly patient, took photos, signed everything, took more photos when peoples' cameras jammed, et cetera. Appreciative of comments and was in no hurry to get past the fans, despite being called to the field by the dude from KISW. Haha.

Deon Butler -- Not the best softball player, but seemed like an awesome guy. We're at the pro shop signing now, by the way. Butler was chatty and very low-key, and a pretty funny guy. I'm not sure, but I think he might have slipped my wife his number. I presume thats just so we can interview him...

Nick Reed -- didn't say much but was "enjoying Seattle." Looks exactly like his scouting pictures. Exactly. It was kind of creepy, but in a mostly good way. Everyone thought he was Max Unger (who wasn't there).

Mike Teel -- he's just a regular everyday normal guy, and easily would have blended in with the crowd. He was friendly and had one of the most legible signatures, so that was cool.

Devin Moore -- yes, he is little, but he was also very friendly and refused to boldly proclaim that he was going to beat out Justin Forsett (I had to ask). He said that Forsett was a great athlete and we'll see how things go. Nice attitude!

Courtney Greene -- Greene wins the award for nicest signature, but not for nicest guy. He looked grumpy and not very approachable. Probably just a bad day, but he was sort of slumped in the chair.

Aaron Curry -- Well, what can I say? I think it must have just been a bad day for Aaron. Nothing that I've seen from him has been anything but happy and friendly. He showed up late (about an hour) after not showing up at the softball game in the earlier part of the day. When the 60-70 of us got through to get his signature, he didn't seem particularly engaging with fans, wasn't looking at us, talking to us much, and after signing my stuff he said something about Lofa Tatupu's house being huge, while ignoring my wife holding her hat out. Heh. No big deal, like I said, I'm sure there was something else going on yesterday -- these guys do have lives outside of football. It was not impressive though, and actually quite disappointing.

He sure looks like he can play football though!

END

2005 Hawks vs. 2008 Cardinals

2009-06-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey Addicts, just a heads up that things will be a bit slow today. I'm going to the Bobby Engram Foundation softball game, and will report back when I return.

In the meantime, I thought I would post a fun little simulation I ran last night on whatifsports.com. I pitted the 2005 Seahawks vs. the 2008 Cardinals -- with the Hawks favoring a West Coast offense attack and the Cardinals going pass-heavy -- to see which team was better. Here is the simulation, I did 15 games -- 7 at home for the Cardinals followed by 7 at home for the Seahawks followed by 1 game on a neutral field.

Game	2005 Seahawks	2008 Cardinals
1	33	20
2	20	17
3	13	24
4	17	29
5	7	25
6	16	24
7	50	7
8	40	7
9	16	6
10	26	18
11	34	13
12	24	13
13	24	41
14	38	20
15	24	9

Boom! Seahawks won 10 of the 15 match ups. We are the champions!!!

END

See Hawks

2009-06-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Hey Seattle-Tacoma area Hawk fans, just thought I'd give you a heads up because this weekend is a big one as far as getting a chance to see Seahawks in person. Today and Tomorrow, Seahawks will be a big part of opening up the brand new Pro Shop at Pacific Place (6th & Pine) mall downtown. Here's what the schedule looks like:

Friday June, 12
1p - 3p: Art Thiel, Mike Gastineau and Steve Rudman
4p - 5p: Ribbon cutting ceremony starring... Colin Cole!

Saturday, June 13
3:30 - 5:30: Rookie party! Aaron Curry, Deon Butler, Mike Teel, Nick Reed, Courtney Greene, Devin Moore, David Washington, Michael Bennett, David Philistin and Andre Ramsey will all be there. Yahoo!

In addition to that, the Bobby Engram Foundation Softball game will be held on Saturday at noon. Get a seat for $10 or a great seat for $20 - $45. Check the link to see a full list of the people there, but among them will be Aaron Curry, Deon Butler, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, Nate Robinson, and of course Mr. Seahawk-who-is-now-a-Chief Bobby Engram.

END

Great News: Training Camp open!

2009-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

The Seahawks have announced that the 2009 Training Camp will be... open to the public! Hurrah! You will need to register at Seahawks.com starting July 16. We'll remind you again closer to the event.

Open camps will be from August 3 to August 17, and we'll see if we can't arrange some sort of Addicts meet-up one of those days. I know I'll be taking a day off work to head down to the VMAC and do some side-berm reporting!

END

Seahawks Will Not Pursue Michael Vick

2009-06-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

This shouldn't come as a huge shock, but Jim Mora finally set the record straight on Michael Vick yesterday in a post-minicamp press conference.

Mora said that even though Vick has paid his debt to society and could very well play in the NFL again, that chance won't come in Seattle.

"I'll just say this for the record. We are very happy with the quarterbacks we have on our roster. We have no intentions of adding another player to our roster at this time."

And Mora is way too smart to realize he's leaving things potentially unresolved by allowing the words "at this time" to remain in this sentence, so he clarified his comment even further:

"Just cut out the 'at this time,' because then people will speculate for the next three months," he said with a laugh. "We have no intentions of adding a quarterback to our roster."

While Vick's sentence may be over, he still has a heap of problems to deal with, including a July 2 deadline to file a new Chapter 11 plan. Even with that deadline looming, the hearing that will ultimately approve or deny the plan will not take place until August 27.

There was never a snowball's chance in hell that Ruskell, Lewieke and Mora were ever going to look at adding Vick with all of this hanging over his head. He owes millions of dollars to various creditors and is currently working a $10-an-hour construction job. Vick's debt may be paid to society, but Mora being at the helm was really the only logical connection anyone ever made to the minute chance of him becoming a Seahawk. The risk simply outweighs the reward.

Besides, why add Vick to a roster that already has four quarterbacks; two of which are competing for a #3 spot, and one of those being a freshly-signed, promising draft pick? This isn't even bringing up the fact that Seneca Wallace is one of the more capable and proven backups in the league. (I'm not even touching the thought of Vick replacing Hasselbeck.)

Vick's athleticism and possible versatility may have been a consideration, but again, that would've been taking a huge risk. Who knows how capable a running back, defensive back or kick-return man he could be? Maybe his style of play would be a great fit for the wildcat formation? Is he really more than just a quarterback? These questions have answers, but if Vick is reinstated, they'll be answered in other places than Seattle.

END

Mark Sanchez is rich

2009-06-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

The New York Jets have signed Mark Sanchez to a contract that will make him the richest Jet in the history of the storied franchise. Wow. What's more incredible about this is that Sanchez signed so early -- my guess is that he didn't expect to make nearly this much money and signed as soon as he had a chance. Way to go Jets, I'm sure Leon Washington will be ecstatic.

Sanchez will earn an average of $10 million a year for 5 years, with escalators in his contract that can get him up to $60 million. $28 million is guaranteed.

This matters to you for two reasons:
1) If we had drafted Sanchez, we would likely be paying him the same amount of money for 16 games started and mediocre (by most reports) mini-camp performances. Wow.
2) This will have some effect on the contract of Aaron Curry, as he was taken one pick before Sanchez.

Now, contracts are a funny, funny thing. Follows is an excerpt explaining Chris Long's contract details. Long was selected #2 last year by the Rams, and the Hawks will likely sign to Curry to a similar contract. Here we go:

Long's deal, like the players selected around him this year, does not include a signing bonus. Instead, there is a roster bonus of $2.605 million this year, plus a first-year base salary of $295,000. The subsequent salaries are $3.625 million for 2009, $4.35 million in 2010, $5.075 million in 2011, $5.8 million in 2012 and $3.285 million in 2013. Those six years total $25.035 million. The base salaries are guaranteed from 2009 through 2012, and this year's roster bonus and salary, for all practical purposes, are guaranteed.

It has been said the sixth year of the deal is a club option, and this is how that works. The Rams can buy out the sixth year by paying Long $16.2 million in 2009. Should they do that, the base salaries reduce to $285,000 in 2009, $1.11 million in 2010, $1.835 million in 2011 and $2.569 million in 2012. That would add about $13 million in value to the contract.

There are also escalators in the contract, providing a significant jump in salary for 2010-2012 if Long reached minimum playing time and team qualifiers in either 2008 or 2009. His total base salaries would increase $19 million ($6 million in 2010, $6.56 million in 2011 and $6.44 million in 2012).

In addition, Long can earn a maximum total of $4.015 million for various incentives, including rookie awards, Pro Bowls and number of sacks.

The bottom line is this: The maximum value of the deal over six years is $55.75 million. However, with the likelihood it would reduce to five years, the maximum total value is $48 million. The true guaranteed money is $21.75 million, which includes his 2008 compensation.

So, as you can see, NFL contracts are friggin' nutty and generally quite manageable. The average annual salary may often mean nothing at all, because you can renegotiate contracts at a certain point. Mind you, Aaron Curry will be a very wealthy man, but he will not sink the team in attaining that wealth.
END

Schrager says Seahawks stink

2009-06-10T16:07:00.001-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Well, maybe not in so many words. Peter Schrager over at Fox Sports has released his list of the Top 99 NFL players going into 2009. There are a couple notable exceptions from his list, you know, like the Seahawks' entire team.

The only player on the Hawks who made the cut was TJ Houshmandzadeh (#68), at which point Schrager tried to sound like a friendly guy to allay the 12th Man:

If there's an oddity on this list, it's the complete lack of representation from the Seattle Seahawks. Am I biased against Seattle? No. Do I have any doubt the Seahawks could take back the NFC West in '09? Not at all. Hoosh is the big free-agent signing. If Matt Hasselbeck stays healthy, they can be one of the nastier QB-WR combos in the league.

So, cool. Thanks Pete. However, all injury concerns aside, there is no reasonable list of the Top 99 players that can be written without including Walter Jones. I get it, he's old, great, but he is still the best left tackle in football. When Wahle was next to him last year, he was unbelievable. When Wahle went down, so did Jones' dominance, but even still he was a dominant force until his injury. If he's back -- which he will be -- he is instantly in the Top 25.

He does mention that Leroy Hill, Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck were all on the cusp, but what about Lofa Tatupu? Marcus Trufant? Hell, the guy clearly has a thing against Tight Ends (Witten was 96???), but if Matt Forte is on the list, why not John Carlson who put up one of the top rookie seasons of any tight end in league history? Vent below (keep it PG-13 please).

END

Sando: Carlson Stands Out

2009-06-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Mike Sando has a wrap-up of his impressions after day one of the Seahawks' final minicamp of the year. Sando notes that Carlson "stands out right away," and appears to have stepped up his game markedly over the year, bouncing off DBs after the catch and turning upfield for more yards. He continues:

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said the staff is using Carlson extensively across multiple packages, including on third down. There were times last season when Carlson inexplicably -- to me, anyway -- came off the field in those situations.

So, who has been doing a good job covering Carlson? Why, it's none other than Rookie LB Aaron Curry, who "covers him better than anyone," but was being praised instead for his surprising pass-rush skills by Mora. This was something that we noted on the blog in the days after his drafting, that Curry was never really asked to do a lot of pass rushing at Wake Forest but when he was, he shone brightly. We'll see how things go as we enter the pre-season, of course, but it's a good thing to read at this stage.

I'll leave the article for you guys to read on your own, but there's an interesting bit about Baraka Atkins and some Kevin Hobbs coverage that I would recommend checking out.

END

Goodell to Join Mora in Rainier Climb

2009-06-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

On July 5, Seahawks coach Jim Mora will be joined by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and legendary mountaineer Ed Viesturs in climbing Mt. Rainier.

The trio will be climbing the 14,411-foot Cascade peak to benefit the King County branch of the United Way. Joining them on the trek will be Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke and United Way CEO John Fine.

The planned 3-day trip has been organized to raise money specifically for the United Way's "Response for Basic Needs" fund.

As BlueThru&Thru said in an earlier comment, perhaps this little trip will help Goodell to realize that South Alaska ain't so bad after all. But for Goodell's sake, I hope they don't bump into Sasquatch while on the mountain - he's probably still bitter about XL.

END

Reed Signs Four-Year Deal

2009-06-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

Former Oregon DE Nick Reed has agreed to terms with the Seahawks, signing a four-year deal today that includes a signing bonus of $41,500. Nice chunk of change for a 7th-round pick.

Reed joins Mike Teel and Courtney Greene as the three Seahawks to sign contracts this week. It's good to see these contracts getting done early. And yes, I goofed and forgot about Reed when I mentioned Cameron Morrah might've been the next to sign. But with Reed's deal in the books, we can look for Morrah to be next on the list.

The more late-round picks they sign now, the closer they can get to securing long-term deals with the big fish, i.e. Unger and Curry. I for one will feel a lot better after Curry's signature is inked before the pads go on at training camp, but this is a good enough start.

END

Teel Signs Contract

2009-06-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

by: Mike Parker

The Seahawks reportedly signed former Rutgers QB Mike Teel to an undisclosed four-year contract earlier today.

Teel is the second player from this Hawks draft class to sign a deal this week, with former Rutgers teammate Courtney Greene signing a multi-year agreement Monday.

I expect TE Cameron Morrah to be the next to sign, if memory of the draft order serves. No one is expecting any of these players to be immediate contributors, but the Seahawks appear to be focusing on getting these deals in place well before training camp.

I'd also expect Teel to beat out QB Jeff Rowe in camp for the third spot on the depth chart. Either way, Teel has to be an improvement over Charlie Frye.

END

Seahawks Weakness: Duckett?

2009-06-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

by: Chris Sullivan

Matt Williamson on Scouts, Inc. has had a series of little guest posts over at Sando's NFC West blog over the last two days. In these posts, he's broken down the weaknesses of each NFC West team. They're all worth a look (uh, click each word, or at least the last one... ooh linkfest!).

Willamson, predictably, picks Seattle's running backs as our top weakness, and other than the hardcore Russell haters, I don't think many would disagree. We've seen nothing from Julius Jones to indicate he can handle the load this year, and even less from TJ "I'm not sure how to use him" Duckett. Forsett remains somewhat enigmatic, but I imagine we can expect for him to remain a largely unknown quantity through this year barring injury to Jones.

The issue I take is with Williamson's breakdown of TJ Duckett:

Last season with the Seahawks, Duckett converted 26 of 62 carries into first downs. Duckett rushed for eight touchdowns, but on those 62 carries, he managed a measly 172 yards for an average of 2.8 yards per carry. Granted, in short-yardage situations, runners are not going to often break off long runs, but 2.8 yards per carry is dreadful. Duckett is extremely one-dimensional. He is just a big, strong guy who can get a needed yard. Nothing more, nothing less.

To look at Duckett, we have to look at not just what he was last year with a coach who admitted he did not know how to use him, but at his previous experience as well. In 2007, on basically the same number of attempts for a much poorer team (Detroit), Duckett doubled his yardage -- 335 yds on 65 carries, averaging 5.2 ypc and scoring 3 touchdowns in the process. He also snagged 16 first downs. What does this tell me?

That the Lions used him differently -- as a running back, rather than strictly as a bruiser. Remember that 19 of Duckett's 62 carries (that's 30%!) came in one game (St Louis, week 3). Outside of that game, his longest run was 9 yards, and what would you expect from him? When you're in the game for three carries, its rare to see a back build up much of a rythym, especially when it is already known that you're going to be rushing up the gut for a two-yard first down.

I'm not trying to insinuate that Duckett is a superstar, he isn't. His best years were under Knapp and Mora in Atlanta, and it was clear last year when we signed him that we were doing so for Mora and (presumably) Knapp. Holmgren didn't want him and didn't know how to use him. That will not be the case in 2009.

END