How Much Better Have the Seahawks Gotten? Defensively.

by: Michael Steffes

Yesterday morning I took at look at some of the major changes the Seahawks have gone through on the offensive side of the ball. I listed the best possible outcome and the worst possible outcome. My feelings are that the reality will probably be somewhere in-between. Lets take a look this morning at some of the big changes defensively.

TO CONTINUE.....


The Linebackers~

The Seahawks have switched out Julian Peterson for Aaron Curry. While this move leaves them several years younger, and 15 lbs heavier at the position, there is still some reason to question the possible results.

UPSIDE: The upside here is obviously that the Seahawks end up with the best linebacking crew in the league. Curry could be everything the Seahawks had in Peterson plus better coverage. It is hard to imagine that Curry will be the pass rusher Julian was, but if he is blitzed at the right times it isn't hard to imagine him having 3 or 4 sacks. Hopefully he frees Lofa and Leroy up to do more, that would make the defensive reach its peak.

DOWNSIDE: There is a rookie learning curve. Curry doesn't have the same experience with the NFL game and has trouble reading and reacting instinctively like Peterson. Without Peterson the Seahawks pass rush falls even further, making the linebacking crew less relevant.


The Defensive Line~

The Seahawks have made a concerted effort to get bigger on the defensive line. Colin Cole will take his 330 lbs to the nose, so that the "Human Bowling Ball" Brandon Mebane can focus on penetration. Cory Redding will be the most stout defensive end the team has had in a while. They now have a lot of depth and versatility in these positions.

UPSIDE: The defensive line becomes a beast. It becomes impossible to really double team any one player. Kerney stays healthy and the pass rush becomes fierce. Also, because of the all the big bodies, the linebackers are free to fly around and make plays. The Hawks end up with a top 10 rushing defense and finish top 10 in sacks.

DOWNSIDE: The pieces don't really fit like the team envisions. Cole has been a backup and has trouble making the transition to starter. This leaves Mebane double teamed more often despite switching positions. Kerney gets banged up again and Redding is the same player that has been a disappointment in Detroit. Jackson hasn't developed and thus the team has few options except to blitz to create pressure.

Right Corner~

The Seahawks have gone to a blast from the past in Kenny Lucas to give them a more a physical presence on the opposite side of the field from Marcus Trufant. This pushes Wilson to the slot. In theory they should have a good group of corners.

UPSIDE: Lucas is able to match up against the divisions bigger receivers. The team goes back to being one of the best team in touchdown passes allowed. Also, Lucas' stature helps the run defense. He is much more stout on the edge furthering the Hawks rush defense. Overall, his addition, and Wilson's competitiveness in the slot allow the team time to get to the QB and then turn bad passes into turnovers.

DOWNSIDE: Turns out it wasn't really the corners, and the increasing age of the safeties is a problem too. Despite solid play on the edges the team is getting beat in the deep middle of the field. Maybe Lucas, like Mike Wahle, was released from Carolina for a reason and the Hawks are the last to find out. Not too many other teams showed interest and now Hawk fans see why. Eventually Jennings is put back on the edge and the run defense then suffers.


I wish that I had a change at safety to talk about, but as for now, it would appear that the team is going to keep the status quo there. So I have listed what I think are the best and worst scenarios for these defensive changes. How do you think it actually plays out? Will this be the year the Seahawks defense finally lives up to its talent level? END Read More!

Seahawks Linebacker Full of Surprises

by: Michael Steffes

The Seahawks linebacking core is getting a lot of attention these days, and rightfully so. However, the on top of Aaron Curry, the Seahawks also added two undrafted free agent linebackers. One of the them is Tony Fien. He is a local product, who went to school in Mississippi. This I was aware of. However, there is a whole lot about Tony Fien that I wasn't aware of, and I guessing that many of you are in the same boat.

Chuck Stark has written an article about Tony for the South Kitsap Sun, and it is very enlightening. All of you you should get the same experience I got from reading the article, so I won't ruin the surprise. But check it out. Fien has a heck of a story. And good for the Seahawks for giving him a shot. Hopefully things work out. END Read More!

Intensity to Go Around

by: Michael Steffes

I am not one to put to much stock into what is happening on the field this weekend -- in the overall picture, these mini camp practices mean very little. There are few things I take note of, like who is running with the first teamers, although even that is clouded by the injury situation.

One thing is apparent, though: the new coaching staff are pushing these guys pretty hard. The intensity appears to have been ratcheted up a notch from mini camps in recent years. How could it not? Have you seen the new head coach? He is the NFL's version of the Energizer Bunny.

Yesterday there were reports of people getting tossed around in pass rush drills. Today, we have offensive and defensive linemen fighting. Helmets are flying, and it is only May.

Like I said, all of these means very little. What is exciting though, is that football is being played. With the ever so long and boring months of mid summer coming, let's enjoy it while it lasts. END Read More!

Did Ruskell Do Hill a Favor?

by: Michael Steffes

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com makes the argument that Tim Ruskell did Leroy Hill a favor by putting the Seahawks' original offer back on the table. Not only did he do Leroy a favor, but he also bailed out Todd France. At least, that is the premise of Florio's article.

As Florio puts it,

Meanwhile, Seahawks president Tim Ruskell privately is winning praise for not sticking it to Hill by reducing the offer. As we understand it, Hill had nothing else even remotely close to his deal with the Seahawks. There’s a belief in some circles that, based on the market for his services, Hill might have been required to take a deal in the range of $4 million per year if the Seahawks hadn’t opted to make their prior offer available....At a time when Hill might be inclined to piss and/or moan about the rescinded franchise tag, here’s hoping Hill realizes that the Seahawks did him a big favor after the fact.

First of all, it is already clear that Hill is not "pissing and moaning" about having the tag removed. He seems genuinely pleased that, in the end, a deal with the Seahawks got worked out. If he was pissed, he could have chosen to sign somewhere for less. That didn't happen.

TO CONTINUE . . .

Let's look at this deal, and what PFT is saying about it for a minute. We have no assurances that Hill couldn't have done better than $4 million, but if that is the case then the logical question is why the Hawks went back to their $6 mil per year offer. Should they have played hardball?

My guess is that they didn't play hardball for a couple of reasons, the first being that they wanted Leroy back. He is one of Ruskell's biggest success stories in his time in Seattle, and the goal has always been to keep him here. Else, the offseason arrest probably would have allowed him to hit the free agent market in March. Plus, Leroy is a impact player on this defense and would be harder to replace than maybe the team would have you believe.

The second reason is something I touched on yesterday, and it is something that Tim Ruskell doesn't get enough credit for. Ruskell and his top guys put a lot of work into figuring out the value of a player to the Seahawks. They attach this value to the player and then are fairly rigid in sticking to that value in their negotiations. Remember last year, Marcus Trufant wanted to be paid as a top-tier corner. The team was open about feeling that he was more of a second-tier talent and should be paid as such. In the end there was a compromise, but the deal was closer to what the second group of corners are paid.

With Hill, the team appears to have taken the same approach. They tagged him, knowing he would be overpaid at $8.3 million per year, then offered him a long term deal for 6 years, $36 million. Leroy was waiting for more. With the tag applied, there was no rush, as Hill had the $8.3 to fall back on -- that is, until the tag was removed.

What should be praised here is not that Ruskell did Hill a favor, but that Ruskell stuck to his valuation of Hill. The moves made by the Seahawks in this situation devalued Leroy on the open market. It would have been very easy for the team to use the loss of leverage against Hill. Instead, it would appear that Ruskell stuck to his value once again. If Hill was worth 6 years and $36 million to the team last week, then he was still worth that amount this week too. The team's stance didn't change. What happened was that the change in situation caused Hill to re-evaluate the situation.

In a perfect world, a situation like this was what the transition tag was made for. They could have let Hill find out if he had more value in the open market back in March. However, the transition tag has become a worthless tool. The team tried this approach before and got burned.

There's no doubt that Ruskell is as stubborn as they come, but when it comes to fielding a team of 53 guys, all under a hard salary cap, it benefits the Seahawks to have a guy who sticks to his guns. END Read More!

How Much Better Have the Seahawks Gotten?

by: Michael Steffes

I think it is now fair to say that the majority of the Seahawks major moves have been made. They have added and subtracted several players. Now they have the draft choices coming along. But how much better have the Seahawks really gotten? This is the question at the heart of a major turnaround in 2009. There is an upside and a downside to each change, and the production will probably fall somewhere in the middle.

To See the major changes....

Coaching Staff~

It is hard to replace a legend, but if anybody has the energy to work at it day and night it appears to be Jim Mora. Both coordinators are are new as well. The Seahawks will rely on new coaches to get more from old players at key positions.

UPSIDE: The offense functions with more balance and is able to sustain drives, while the defense finally lives up to the expectation of its talent level.

DOWNSIDE: The offense struggles under a new system. They don't have the pieces in place to execute the zone blocking like they want to. Matt and Walt get a year older with nothing to show for it. The defense gets similar production out of guys like Jackson, Russell, and Tapp. The back ups still aren't ready to take over.

Quarterback~

Matt is healthy, Wallace is even more experienced now. And healthy again. The team has got to see a rise in play at this position.

UPSIDE: Matt is good to go and plays at minimum 13 or 14 games. He plays with a chip on his shoulder after last season, and all the talk in the media about the Hawks needing to find his replacement.

DOWNSIDE: Matt has back problems again. Wallace is the clear cut starter for most of the season. While efficient, he is not spectacular, and this team thus needs to rely on defense and special teams to win

Running Back~

Morris is gone. Jones will be the featured guy, and Duckett's role will expand. There will be a third guy in the mix for carries as well.

UPSIDE: Jones and Duckett form a perfect tandem, "Thunder and Lightning" if you will. Because of the time share, they both remain healthy and help lead a top 10 rushing attack. Jones shows that the begining of last season was not a fluke.

DOWNSIDE: Jones is just not a bell cow back. His inconsistency becomes a problem again. Duckett can move the chains, but struggles when given too many carries, as his past production indicates. Forsett is a preseason wonder, and the Hawks have to put the offense on the QBs shoulders again.

Wide Receiver~

After being totally decimated by injuries last year, the Hawks added the top available WR in free agency, and complemented him with a speed guy to help open up the middle for him. Everyone will be healthy heading into training camp this year. In fact, some decent players won't make the cut.

UPSIDE; This group has the possibility of being one of the leagues best, in my opinion. Houshmanzadeh will make throwing in the red zone easier. Burleson, who appears to be close already, is a big play guy, even if inconsistent. Branch can be a reliable target assuming he is on the field, and he is kinda due to have a year with no problems. Even Marcus Tubbs has one. Add Butler into the mix of young guys, who hopefully spent all offseason working their tails off after finding out they weren't NFL ready last year, and this group is deep top to bottom.

DOWNSIDE: With no true #1 threat and Matt's security blanket in Bobby Engram gone, the passing game just isn't the same. It becomes inconsistent, especially against better defenses. As the year goes on, the vets like Housh, Branch, and Burleson start to get banged up. No real threat emerges from the young guys, again.

Offensive Line~

The Seahawks really only made one change to the offensive line, and that is Max Unger. They let Pork Chop go, who was really probably their best linemen last year. Walter Jones had microfracture, and Mike Wahle is said to have a bone on bone situation in his shoulder.

UPSIDE: The upside is huge. Walter recovers enough to be a top teir tackle, if not totally dominant force on the left side, and Locklear shakes of a bad first year after getting paid to show that he is the linemen the Hawks inked to that long term deal. Willis slides down to right guard to play, and stays there for the year without being moved. This because Wahle holds off Unger, allowing him a year to get stronger and learn the league, while Spencer stays healthy and builds off some of the promise he showed when in the lineup last year. Rob Sims never sees the field.

DOWNSIDE: Injuries strike again. Walt continues to have trouble with his knee. Locklear at left tackle gets its first run. Willis plays right tackle, but that leaves the interior of the line fairly week. Unger plays as rookie, at both center and guard because Spencer is inconsistent. Vallos, Sims, and Wrotto all get time on the interior as well. The line never gains an continuity and thus the offense sputters overall.


So, we can do this for the defensive changes later in the day, or tomorrow. I tried to present the two extreme positions of what could happen with some of the positions the Seahawks have addressed. My guess, is that the reality falls somewhere in-between on each of them. It is hard to assume drastic change until we see it, but also, it seems as if the Hawks didn't get any breaks last year, and a few are going to go our way this year. But maybe not.

How do you see each of these situations shaping up? We expected big changes last year in the line and running game, some came through, and others didn't. What ACTUALLY improves this year, and what will Tim Ruskell be addressing again next year? Have at it.....END Read More!

Observations from Renton

by: Mike Parker

As some of you noted in the comments of the previous post, Mike Sando put up 10 interesting observations from Seahawks minicamp today.

No need to summarize a summary, but it seems like WR Deon Butler's name popped up at least three times in the midst of Sando's post - and this particular play was first on his list:

Third-round choice Deon Butler diving to catch a 50-yard touchdown pass after outrunning cornerback Kevin Hobbs.

And apparently, Bobby Engram and his wife put in good words for Butler. Bobby and Butler both attended Penn State, though obviously years apart. Perhaps Butler could step in as a speedy slot option?

In more good news, Sando noted that Leroy Hill played "without any animosity" towards his recently-ended contract situation.

As far as Aaron Curry is concerned, he reportedly "looks the part," though it's of course very early to tell to what extent. Expectations are definitely high.



END Read More!

Hawks Release T. Schmitt, Dizer

by: Mike Parker

Eric Williams has reported that the Hawks have cut LS Tyler Schmitt and CB DeMichael Dizer.

Schmitt's unfortunate story with the Hawks has ended before it really even had a chance to begin. His back issue, which put him on injured reserve last year, apparently never healed enough to put him back into NFL shape. Dizer went down with a torn ACL during the team's scrimmage at Qwest last year and was basically dead weight on the depth chart after the team brought Ken Lucas back.

The Hawks have two remaining long snappers: Ryan Senser, formerly of Ohio; and Sean Griffin, formerly of Michigan. Griffin is in camp on a tryout basis.

END Read More!

How the Mighty Have Fallen?

by: Michael Steffes

In a way, I kind of feel bad for DJ Hackett. I really liked Hack. My lovely girlfriend wanted a Hackett jersey as her first Seahawks Jersey. Hack was fun to watch, at least when he was on the field. Many of us were surprised that he didn't get a big money deal last offseason. Well, now he has to attend a mini camp on a tryout basis just so he can continue playing.

Zorn and the Redskins have invited Hackett to try out this weekend at their post-draft mini camp. Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post has the story. Kelley Washington, formerly of the Bengals and Patriots, is also getting a tryout.

Since the Hawks are having such a blockbuster A+ week, I think it is fair that we can review some of the transactions of which the fanbase was so critical recently. Releasing DJ Hackett was one of these. It is hard to argue that he couldn't have helped us last year -- anybody with two hands and a pulse could have conceivably helped the WR position last year. But to see that Hackett is now heading to a camp without a contract, we can see that Tim Ruskell does his homework when he determines a player's value.

Darrell Jackson was another example. Clearly, the fourth round pick was probably more valuable to the organization than Jackson, who has disappeared since being traded. Now that we know what the team received in exchange for letting guys like Niko, Bentley, and Wyms walk, we can evaluate those decisions as well. How many of the 7th rounders taken with those compensatory picks will make the team? Last year both did.

Next year, there will be a whole new set of decisions to examine like Morris, Weaver, and Engram. But while we bask in the excitement of how the Leroy Hill situation worked out, let's remember that all of the decisions that Ruskell makes are based on a value he places on the player. And so far, for the most part, he has judged that value effectively. There is lots of turnover in the NFL, and since that's something that happens no matter what, it is invaluable that the team knows when to keep someone and when to let that player go.

END Read More!

Mini Camp Opens Today

by: Michael Steffes

For those of you unfamiliar with the process, or who need a refresher, the Seahawks' post-draft mini camp begins today.

Here is what that means:

Players probably started arriving yesterday, or at least the few who aren't already here for the entire offseason working out. They probably began checking in and taking physicals yesterday. Today they will be in Renton, in meetings this morning and in their first practice this afternoon. Usually, afternoon practices start around 1:15 PM.

Tomorrow, the team will have two practices followed by one on Sunday, after which time the team will depart until OTAs begin. In reality, the team doesn't completely depart. Those who live in the area will continue to work out at the facility, and all of the rookies will be given a nice big playbook to go home with.

For the most part, this weekend is about putting together the base of the offensive and defensive schemes. They will do more of this in training camp, but they want players to get a feel for what they will be doing in the new systems.

In years previous, the vets could help bring the young guys along. This year, the vets have had only a brief experience working with the new schemes in the previous mini camp, so will be lots of learning for everyone.

The best part about mini camp is that we get to see the team on the field. It brings us one step closer to the season getting starting. END Read More!

Defensive Roster Analysis

by: Michael Steffes

I was planning on doing this yesterday afternoon to follow my offensive roster analysis, but it seemed prudent to wait until the Leroy Hill situation wrapped itself up so that we could take a more accurate look.

Without further ado, to see the defensive side of the ball, click




DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Number Kept Last Year: 4
Average Number Kept: 4.5

Locks: Mebane, Cole, Bryant, Terrill
Camp Battle: Kevin Brown, Tez Doolittle
Favorite: toss up

This team will probably end up keeping an extra end over an extra tackle, mainly because several of the ends offer the versatility to play tackle. That said, who isn't rooting for TEZ?



DEFENSIVE END

Number Kept Last Year: 5
Average Number Kept: 4.5

Locks: Kerney, Jackson, Tapp, Redding
Camp Battle: Atkins, Reed, Bennett, Brandon Miller
Favorite: Atkins

Atkins came on last year at the end of the season. If everyone is healthy, there will be some tough decisions to be made here. Reed would almost certainly be a candidate for the practice squad.


LINEBACKERS

Number kept last year: 6
Average Number Kept: 7

Locks: Tatupu, Curry, Hill, Laury, Lewis, Herring, Hawthorne
Camp Battle: Phillstin, Fein
Favorite: toss up

Linebackers are pretty set. If one of the UDFA guys shows his worth, they could keep him. However, the way this roster is built, it would seem they are more likely to keep an extra defensive linemen or defensive back.


CORNERBACKS

Number Kept Last Year: 4
Average Kept: 4

Locks: Trufant, Lucas, Wilson
Camp Battle: Jennings versus Hobbs
Favorite: Jennings

It's too hard to give up on a former first rounder, especially with Lucas on a one year deal.

SAFETIES

Number Kept Last Year: 3
Average Number Kept: 4

Locks: Grant, Russell, Babineaux
Camp Battle: Wallace, Adams, Greene
Favorite: Adams?

With Babineaux as a swing DB, the team may look to keep one more true safety. The three are pretty evenly matched. I give the nod to Adams based on the board in the Seahawks war room everyone keeps referencing. Russell will remain for one more year.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Number Kept Last Year: 4
Average Number Kept: 3

Locks: John Ryan?
Camp Battle: Coutu versus Mare (again), Schmitt versus Senser
Favorite: Coutu, Schmitt

I have to think the team would like to hand the job to Coutu if he earns it. It would save them about $2 mil and they would get some use out of keeping him last year. If Schmitt can stay healthy, he will get the nod at long snapper.

END Read More!