John Clayton breaks the story that John Schneider is the new Seahawks GM. My gut reaction is to be happy, but I do not have any time right now to go into any further detail. What a day for Seattle.
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It's not 100% yet. However Chris Mortensen seems pretty adamant about this. If this goes down, USC will have lost just about their whole coaching staff to the city of Seattle in a little over a year. While Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt are up at Montlake this fall, it's highly possible Carroll will be bringing one or two of his coordinators up with him to the Seahawks.
A friend of mine also mentioned this twisted possiblity:
Carroll to Seahawks
Mora to Huskies
Sarkisian to Trojans
It's not going to happen, but just an interesting thought to ponder... no comments
A friend of mine also mentioned this twisted possiblity:
Carroll to Seahawks
Mora to Huskies
Sarkisian to Trojans
It's not going to happen, but just an interesting thought to ponder... no comments
Via Seattle Times
"We've made a tough decision today. It became apparent after conducting an extensive internal audit, that a new direction was needed to provide an opportunity for the organization to be successful. Today's decision, while difficult, is part of the process in building a franchise with a new vision in 2010.Got any favorite candidates to fill in the Seahawks head coaching job? Sound off in the comments. no comments
View Part 1 here.
Defensive Line
Brandon Mebane: Mebane is the defense's most valuable player, especially when factoring cost. Many fans do not realize how much the defense relies on him. He is a very good DT regardless of the system. A sure keeper.
Darryl Tapp: Tapp may be a somewhat controversial free agent, but he should be retained at all costs. Tapp hs fantastic pass rush skills while not being an embarrassment against the run. He could work in multiple systems and has yet to play his best football. Lose him, and some other team will reap the benefits.
Defensive Back
Josh Wilson: Josh Wilson is young and he can do a lot of good things. A sure keeper.
Kelly Jennings: Jennings was misunderstood in Seattle for a long time. Jennings can actually stay with his man quite well. However, he has absolutely no ball skills, which makes his cover skills irrelevant. Whether you keep him or not depends on whether you think ball skills can be taught to a four year veteran or not. Without them, he is nothing but an okay dime corner.
Ken Lucas: There is no reason to let him go for nothing, but he is probably too old to see the next Seahawks postseason run. Still, he is cheap and serviceable.
Conclusion
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Defensive Line
Brandon Mebane: Mebane is the defense's most valuable player, especially when factoring cost. Many fans do not realize how much the defense relies on him. He is a very good DT regardless of the system. A sure keeper.
Darryl Tapp: Tapp may be a somewhat controversial free agent, but he should be retained at all costs. Tapp hs fantastic pass rush skills while not being an embarrassment against the run. He could work in multiple systems and has yet to play his best football. Lose him, and some other team will reap the benefits.
Patrick Kerney: Kerney is old and expensive. He has also disappeared often times on the line recently and has aged considerably. He is owed a lot of money and should be cut.
Colin Cole: One of Ruskell's worst signings, Cole was a backup quality player given starter's money and a starting position. Cole makes the rest of the the defensive line worse and can be single blocked by anybody. Cut him, and it is almost addition by subtraction.
Red Bryant: Bryant is still very raw, but shows flashes of dominance in the rare moments he seees playing time. Give this guy some reps and he could be something. Or not. Keep him anyways.
Craig Terril: Craig Terril is bad against the pass and worse against the run. He is quick off the snap, but other than being able to play guitar, he has no other talents. Cut him yesterday.
Lawrence Jackson: Jackson may never be able to fill out his first round potential, but he is young, comparable cheap, fits in any system and has shown flashes. Keep him
Nick Reed: Reed was a monster in the preseason but has been criminally misused since. He has the most value as a pass rush specialist playing on third and long. A move to LB may be necessary. Keep him.
Linebacker
Lofa Tatupu: Keep him, and tell him to stop bulking up, because he doesn't need any more strength and it is taking away from his already below average speed.
David Hawthorne: Young, and shows flashes. Not as good as the tackles stat makes him look, and his pass defense needs a considerable amount of work, but he is good enough to retain for the future.
Aaron Curry: Curry has been a mild disappointment in what was a fantastic linebacker draft, but nobody has advocating getting rid of him, and nobody should. He has way too much potential.
Leroy Hill: If Seattle moves to a 3-4, which is not out of the question, the Hill stays. If not, as much as I like Hill, he's not the player we need right now, and he can be cut without much of a cap hit. If Seattle Stays in a 4-3, it is really stupid to have that much money invested in linebackers.
Will Herring: Herring is young, cheap, and good in pass coverage. Keeper.
Defensive Back
Josh Wilson: Josh Wilson is young and he can do a lot of good things. A sure keeper.
Marcus Trufant: Trufant is a bit of a conundrum. He is expensive, and he has not played very well this year. I think we should keep him. For one, Trufant has been the result of some very unlucky, reputation based PI calls and plays many corners get away with. Another reason is that Trufant is our most balanced corner and losing him would be a talent downgrade. Trufant is still fairly young and has some years left in him.
Kelly Jennings: Jennings was misunderstood in Seattle for a long time. Jennings can actually stay with his man quite well. However, he has absolutely no ball skills, which makes his cover skills irrelevant. Whether you keep him or not depends on whether you think ball skills can be taught to a four year veteran or not. Without them, he is nothing but an okay dime corner.
Ken Lucas: There is no reason to let him go for nothing, but he is probably too old to see the next Seahawks postseason run. Still, he is cheap and serviceable.
Jordan Babineux: Big Play Babs took over for one of the worst safeties in the history of the Seahawks, Brian Russell. In doing so he has looked fabulous by comparison. Babs is still young, still cheap, and could be decent. Even if the Hawks get a new starter, he is good depth. Keeper.
Deon Grant: Grant played out of position each of his years with Seattle, and though he tried admirably, he suffered from the void caused by Russell. Now, he may be too old to be a true contributor, and he is somewhat expensive. Cut him.
Conclusion
While The Seahawks are in need of a lot of talent, particularly at the Quarterback, Tackle, and Defensive Line positions, there are still the makings of a good defense and a few salvageable parts on offense. While it may take several years for the next Seahawks Super Bowl contender to arrive, the cupboard is not totally bare. I am very excited to see what the new GM, whoever it is, will do with this base.
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It is no longer controversial to say that the glory years of the Seahawks have come to an end. The teams we have seen in the past two seasons are not capable of the success Seattle saw just a few years ago, and their chances of regaining that success in the next few years is remarkably low. Now is the time to rebuild, a time to put all those beautiful memories into the archives and start focusing on the future.
By future, it must be understood that we are not talking about next year, but in several years, that we are not topping off a sundae with chocolate sprinkles and a sweet cherry but simply getting the ice cream out of the freezer. The NFL is cyclical, and the Seahawks are at the end of their cycle. Trying to reverse the team's direction could prove disastrous.
This does not mean that there is no talent on the current Seahawks roster. Tim Ruskell was far from a perfect GM but if there is one thing he can be credited with, it is with the amount of young players who can be at least be called contributors on a true contender, if not starring performers.
What I will attempt to do here, without knowing who the next GM will be, what his drafting tendencies or his new system will be, is to decide what players should be spared from the coming storm of cuts and trades. Who stays and goes may vary based on the factors mentioned but generally, talent is talent, and there is only so much a system can do to help or hurt a player.
I will be bringing in some of my own opinions about football in my talent evaluations and for honesty's sake I will try to explain them. I am a believer in a pass first offense. Regardless of the metric used, passing is significantly more valuable than running the football. There are logical reasons for this to be true.
There is never much doubt about where the running back is running towards, while a quarterback could throw to several locations on the field at any time. A ball thrown through the air is faster than any running back is and will get to the same spot quicker. Wide receivers divide up the defense and have fewer defenders capable of stopping them than a running back does.
This is not to say that rushing the football has no place in football, but that it should be secondary to the passing offense with the goal of keeping the defense on their toes. For this reason I will be judging the abilities of players that relate to the passing game with a greater interest than the abilities which pertain more to the running game.
I would be more apt to keep an offensive lineman with steady pass pro and questionable run defense than a player with the reverse skill-set, and I will judge safeties and corners far more on their coverage abilities than their run stopping prowess (regardless of whether the new administration will share my point of view). However, it is my educated opinion that passing offense and pass defense are inherently more valuable than running offense and defense.
With that out of the way, here is a position by position breakdown of offensive players the Seahawks should either keep or get rid of if they want to rebuild right. I will cover the defense in Part 2 of this post later on this week.
Coaching Staff
Every member of the staff should be let go and the new GM should be given full authority to choose the next head coach. My reasoning is that firing the GM and not the head coach leads to a power struggle within the organization. The GM should be able to hire players to fit his own systems and ideas, instead of those off another coach with whom he disagrees.
In addition, whether Mora and the staff are really at fault for this year or not, they are biased when it comes to which players to jettison and which to keep. The people making these personnel decisions should be able to come in with a neutral bias and no emotional attachments to any member of the team, and then make these decisions. Hiring new coaches give the team an extra set of eyes to make these decisions with.
Quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck: I am going to come right out and say that I do not think Matt Hasselbeck should play any significant role in the Seahawks' future. Rather than get into the whole debate about whether he's the victim of a bad offense or the primary reason for the bad offense, I will try to defend my opinion based on facts even Hasselbeck's biggest fans can not refute.
The Seahawks have had a lackluster passing offense over the past two years, even with Hasselbeck at the helm. Hasselbeck is 34 years old, and with the laundry list of injuries he has sustained over his career, he is an old 34. Even at his prime, although an efficient passer, Hasselbeck was no Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.
Hasselbeck is expensive and only under contract for one more season. He has earned a better ending to his career than what he has received this year. Even if you think Hasselbeck is the victim of a bad offense (which I do not think is true, but for the sake of argument), by the time the offense improves enough for the team to be successful, Matt Hasselbeck will be very old and his already bad arm strength, a weakness of his even in his glory days, will diminish even further.
Matt Hasselbeck's contributions here will not be soon forgotten, but his time here will hopefully be at an end soon.
Seneca Wallace: Seneca is another controversial subject for Seahawk fans, but I think it is safe to say that Seneca is not the young QB with starter potential most fans would prefer at backup QB. With little on-field success to speak of and several annoying tendencies which would very difficult if not impossible to fix, Seneca should be out the door. He does not have a place on a rebuilding team.
Mike Teel: Teel has only two things going for him, which are that he is young, and he is cheap. Those two things are enough to merit his staying on the roster.
Running Back
Julius Jones: There is no real reason to get rid of Julius Jones. He is not terribly expensive, he would not fetch too much in a trade, and he is still the team's best blocker and receiver in the backfield. He is not a great rusher, but he does not have to be for him to be valuable. For the time being he stays.
Justin Forsett: This is not entirely on topic, but the thing about Ruskell's administration I hated more than any other is that they were too willing to let young players who weren't already solid contributors leave. The prime example of this was cutting Forsett after a solid preseason and letting him sign with the Colts, though there several others (letting Michael Bennett and Derek Walker go were both stupid, unnecessary moves which, while they may not hurt us, are evidence of the type of lazy thinking which eventually costs the team wins, which is completely irresponsible). Forsett stays for obvious reasons.
Louis Rankin: I hate to single out a beloved former Husky who had a nice college career, but he is an example of the type of player the Seahawks have been too willing to hang around. Rankin isn't fast, he can't return kicks, and doesn't have any other fine skills to speak of, but remains on the roster for reasons which are completely unknown. He's gone.
Fullback
Justin Griffith: He's old, he's not a good rusher, he's not a great blocker, and though he is a bad receiver he gets the ball thrown his way seven times a game because Hasselbeck's arm strength is gone. He's cut.
Owen Schmitt: One of the great mysteries of this season is why Owen Schmitt never sees the field. With nothing to lose, The Seahawks have no excuse for playing the veteran over Schmitt, who if nothing else is young and cheap. Schmitt has enough potential that he should be given a real chance to prove his worth as a starting fullback, and not be passed around until a team starts realizing what he can do.
Offensive Line
Walter Jones: I love you, Walter Jones. Your chances of coming back from your injuries are amazingly slim at best. Please retire so we can put you in the Ring of Honor sooner, and have some cap room for next year.
Sean Locklear: The Seahawks should find another left tackle, as Locklear has not cut it since he was given the job. Either move him back to right tackle where he used to play well, or cut him. He is getting older and is pretty expensive for a right tackle, so they may just cut him anyways.
Rob Sims: Rob Sims has taken so much undeserved crap over his career, and I have no idea why. He was unfairly called out repeatedly by Holmgren, partly due to Sims being somewhat of a misfit for a power blocking scheme, and after missing basically all of 2008 has been a target for criticism again, for no particular reason other than guilt by association with the Seahawks offense.
Sims is a very good left guard, he is no Hutchinson, but he does not need to be. Sims is the Seahawks best pass blocker and was always their second best behind Big Walt. He does everything a lineman should be able to do, plus he is fairly young and quite cheap. He is a sure keeper.
Max Unger: Unger has played pretty badly this year, his rookie season. However, there is reason to like his potential and if he can stick at center, his strength issues can be masked against linebackers and safeties. An obvious keeper.
Chris Spencer: Like Rob Sims, few people have faced more unfair criticism than Spencer, and like Sims, letting Chris Spencer leave would be a mistake. A restricted Free Agent this year, Spencer's decision will be one of the issues facing the new front office this year, and instead of listening to the sports radio post game call-in show, they should watch game tape before making their decision.
Spencer is Seattle's most athletic and strongest starting lineman. Spencer performes well off the snap and moves very well in space for a lineman. If the coaches think that Spencer's lingering hand injuries affect his snapping too much, Spencer should be able to transtion well to being a guard. Letting Spencer go, however, would be a huge mistake and make this offensive line even worse.
Ray Willis: If Locklear moves to right tackle, then cutting Willis makes some sense. If Lockear gets cut, then retaining Willis is the smart move. Willis is young and has some versatility, being able to play guard or right tackle. He is a little expensive though, and he isn't so good as to be irreplaceable.
Mansfield Wrotto: Wrotto is a physical freak in terms of his strength, but his technique has improved little since he was drafted. It may be time to give up on this project.
Tight End
John Carlson: An obvious Keeper, but an opportunity for me to talk about the worst crime of this offense which is its inability to get the football in Carlson's hands. Carlson is not a great blocker. He is decent, but below average. What Carlson can do, better than most tight ends in the league, is run routes and catch the football. Please throw him the football next year.
John Owens: Owens's likelihood of being back here next year is slim, but I want to talk about him anyways because I am so sick of seeing players on the field who are pass eligible but can't catch a cold. A blocking tight end is sacrificing the pass offense for the run offense, and that is counterproductive. He's cut.
Wide Receiver
Deion Branch: I think Deion Brach has not been given a fair chance in Seattle. Branch is a fine wide receiver, somebody who could be a very productive slot receiver under the right circumstances and who I think has a few productive years left. He will most likely have those years elsewhere, however, because he is expensive and has been all but eliminated from the Seahawks offense for reasons unknown.
TJ Houshmanzadeh: Housh is an older player, and expensive. Housh is also a very good receiver, somebody who could be put in the Bobby Engram role for a new young QB and put up seasons like Engram's 2007, where Engram was the leading reciever. TJ may or may not be too old to make it to the next Seahawks playoff game as a big contributor, but there are more benefits to keeping him than cutting him.
Nate Burleson: Burleson is the team's most overrated receiver. He has value because he has the speed to make a big play now and then, but he does many things wrong. He is a lazy route runner, often breaking stride or quitting early, and does not get much separation. He is not somebody who can be trusted to get open consistently, and it is critical that a young QB be able to trust his wide outs be to be there. Burleson is not cheap, though cheaper than many think, and cutting him helps the team financially. He's gone.
Ben Obomanu: No reason to cut him, but not too many reasons to keep him, either.
Deon Butler: When the team traded back into the third round to attain Butler, giving up this year's third rounder, it was assumed that they valued Butler highly and that he would be used at least somewhat this year. Instead Butler has been totally absent, except for one key catch against San Fransisco at home. It is inexcusable that Butler has not gotten the game experience he needs to prove himself. He's a keeper, and hopefully he gets his chance and takes advantage.
To be continued...Defense is next no comments
By future, it must be understood that we are not talking about next year, but in several years, that we are not topping off a sundae with chocolate sprinkles and a sweet cherry but simply getting the ice cream out of the freezer. The NFL is cyclical, and the Seahawks are at the end of their cycle. Trying to reverse the team's direction could prove disastrous.
This does not mean that there is no talent on the current Seahawks roster. Tim Ruskell was far from a perfect GM but if there is one thing he can be credited with, it is with the amount of young players who can be at least be called contributors on a true contender, if not starring performers.
What I will attempt to do here, without knowing who the next GM will be, what his drafting tendencies or his new system will be, is to decide what players should be spared from the coming storm of cuts and trades. Who stays and goes may vary based on the factors mentioned but generally, talent is talent, and there is only so much a system can do to help or hurt a player.
I will be bringing in some of my own opinions about football in my talent evaluations and for honesty's sake I will try to explain them. I am a believer in a pass first offense. Regardless of the metric used, passing is significantly more valuable than running the football. There are logical reasons for this to be true.
There is never much doubt about where the running back is running towards, while a quarterback could throw to several locations on the field at any time. A ball thrown through the air is faster than any running back is and will get to the same spot quicker. Wide receivers divide up the defense and have fewer defenders capable of stopping them than a running back does.
This is not to say that rushing the football has no place in football, but that it should be secondary to the passing offense with the goal of keeping the defense on their toes. For this reason I will be judging the abilities of players that relate to the passing game with a greater interest than the abilities which pertain more to the running game.
I would be more apt to keep an offensive lineman with steady pass pro and questionable run defense than a player with the reverse skill-set, and I will judge safeties and corners far more on their coverage abilities than their run stopping prowess (regardless of whether the new administration will share my point of view). However, it is my educated opinion that passing offense and pass defense are inherently more valuable than running offense and defense.
With that out of the way, here is a position by position breakdown of offensive players the Seahawks should either keep or get rid of if they want to rebuild right. I will cover the defense in Part 2 of this post later on this week.
Coaching Staff
Every member of the staff should be let go and the new GM should be given full authority to choose the next head coach. My reasoning is that firing the GM and not the head coach leads to a power struggle within the organization. The GM should be able to hire players to fit his own systems and ideas, instead of those off another coach with whom he disagrees.
In addition, whether Mora and the staff are really at fault for this year or not, they are biased when it comes to which players to jettison and which to keep. The people making these personnel decisions should be able to come in with a neutral bias and no emotional attachments to any member of the team, and then make these decisions. Hiring new coaches give the team an extra set of eyes to make these decisions with.
Quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck: I am going to come right out and say that I do not think Matt Hasselbeck should play any significant role in the Seahawks' future. Rather than get into the whole debate about whether he's the victim of a bad offense or the primary reason for the bad offense, I will try to defend my opinion based on facts even Hasselbeck's biggest fans can not refute.
The Seahawks have had a lackluster passing offense over the past two years, even with Hasselbeck at the helm. Hasselbeck is 34 years old, and with the laundry list of injuries he has sustained over his career, he is an old 34. Even at his prime, although an efficient passer, Hasselbeck was no Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.
Hasselbeck is expensive and only under contract for one more season. He has earned a better ending to his career than what he has received this year. Even if you think Hasselbeck is the victim of a bad offense (which I do not think is true, but for the sake of argument), by the time the offense improves enough for the team to be successful, Matt Hasselbeck will be very old and his already bad arm strength, a weakness of his even in his glory days, will diminish even further.
Matt Hasselbeck's contributions here will not be soon forgotten, but his time here will hopefully be at an end soon.
Seneca Wallace: Seneca is another controversial subject for Seahawk fans, but I think it is safe to say that Seneca is not the young QB with starter potential most fans would prefer at backup QB. With little on-field success to speak of and several annoying tendencies which would very difficult if not impossible to fix, Seneca should be out the door. He does not have a place on a rebuilding team.
Mike Teel: Teel has only two things going for him, which are that he is young, and he is cheap. Those two things are enough to merit his staying on the roster.
Running Back
Julius Jones: There is no real reason to get rid of Julius Jones. He is not terribly expensive, he would not fetch too much in a trade, and he is still the team's best blocker and receiver in the backfield. He is not a great rusher, but he does not have to be for him to be valuable. For the time being he stays.
Justin Forsett: This is not entirely on topic, but the thing about Ruskell's administration I hated more than any other is that they were too willing to let young players who weren't already solid contributors leave. The prime example of this was cutting Forsett after a solid preseason and letting him sign with the Colts, though there several others (letting Michael Bennett and Derek Walker go were both stupid, unnecessary moves which, while they may not hurt us, are evidence of the type of lazy thinking which eventually costs the team wins, which is completely irresponsible). Forsett stays for obvious reasons.
Louis Rankin: I hate to single out a beloved former Husky who had a nice college career, but he is an example of the type of player the Seahawks have been too willing to hang around. Rankin isn't fast, he can't return kicks, and doesn't have any other fine skills to speak of, but remains on the roster for reasons which are completely unknown. He's gone.
Fullback
Justin Griffith: He's old, he's not a good rusher, he's not a great blocker, and though he is a bad receiver he gets the ball thrown his way seven times a game because Hasselbeck's arm strength is gone. He's cut.
Owen Schmitt: One of the great mysteries of this season is why Owen Schmitt never sees the field. With nothing to lose, The Seahawks have no excuse for playing the veteran over Schmitt, who if nothing else is young and cheap. Schmitt has enough potential that he should be given a real chance to prove his worth as a starting fullback, and not be passed around until a team starts realizing what he can do.
Offensive Line
Walter Jones: I love you, Walter Jones. Your chances of coming back from your injuries are amazingly slim at best. Please retire so we can put you in the Ring of Honor sooner, and have some cap room for next year.
Sean Locklear: The Seahawks should find another left tackle, as Locklear has not cut it since he was given the job. Either move him back to right tackle where he used to play well, or cut him. He is getting older and is pretty expensive for a right tackle, so they may just cut him anyways.
Rob Sims: Rob Sims has taken so much undeserved crap over his career, and I have no idea why. He was unfairly called out repeatedly by Holmgren, partly due to Sims being somewhat of a misfit for a power blocking scheme, and after missing basically all of 2008 has been a target for criticism again, for no particular reason other than guilt by association with the Seahawks offense.
Sims is a very good left guard, he is no Hutchinson, but he does not need to be. Sims is the Seahawks best pass blocker and was always their second best behind Big Walt. He does everything a lineman should be able to do, plus he is fairly young and quite cheap. He is a sure keeper.
Max Unger: Unger has played pretty badly this year, his rookie season. However, there is reason to like his potential and if he can stick at center, his strength issues can be masked against linebackers and safeties. An obvious keeper.
Chris Spencer: Like Rob Sims, few people have faced more unfair criticism than Spencer, and like Sims, letting Chris Spencer leave would be a mistake. A restricted Free Agent this year, Spencer's decision will be one of the issues facing the new front office this year, and instead of listening to the sports radio post game call-in show, they should watch game tape before making their decision.
Spencer is Seattle's most athletic and strongest starting lineman. Spencer performes well off the snap and moves very well in space for a lineman. If the coaches think that Spencer's lingering hand injuries affect his snapping too much, Spencer should be able to transtion well to being a guard. Letting Spencer go, however, would be a huge mistake and make this offensive line even worse.
Ray Willis: If Locklear moves to right tackle, then cutting Willis makes some sense. If Lockear gets cut, then retaining Willis is the smart move. Willis is young and has some versatility, being able to play guard or right tackle. He is a little expensive though, and he isn't so good as to be irreplaceable.
Mansfield Wrotto: Wrotto is a physical freak in terms of his strength, but his technique has improved little since he was drafted. It may be time to give up on this project.
Tight End
John Carlson: An obvious Keeper, but an opportunity for me to talk about the worst crime of this offense which is its inability to get the football in Carlson's hands. Carlson is not a great blocker. He is decent, but below average. What Carlson can do, better than most tight ends in the league, is run routes and catch the football. Please throw him the football next year.
John Owens: Owens's likelihood of being back here next year is slim, but I want to talk about him anyways because I am so sick of seeing players on the field who are pass eligible but can't catch a cold. A blocking tight end is sacrificing the pass offense for the run offense, and that is counterproductive. He's cut.
Wide Receiver
Deion Branch: I think Deion Brach has not been given a fair chance in Seattle. Branch is a fine wide receiver, somebody who could be a very productive slot receiver under the right circumstances and who I think has a few productive years left. He will most likely have those years elsewhere, however, because he is expensive and has been all but eliminated from the Seahawks offense for reasons unknown.
TJ Houshmanzadeh: Housh is an older player, and expensive. Housh is also a very good receiver, somebody who could be put in the Bobby Engram role for a new young QB and put up seasons like Engram's 2007, where Engram was the leading reciever. TJ may or may not be too old to make it to the next Seahawks playoff game as a big contributor, but there are more benefits to keeping him than cutting him.
Nate Burleson: Burleson is the team's most overrated receiver. He has value because he has the speed to make a big play now and then, but he does many things wrong. He is a lazy route runner, often breaking stride or quitting early, and does not get much separation. He is not somebody who can be trusted to get open consistently, and it is critical that a young QB be able to trust his wide outs be to be there. Burleson is not cheap, though cheaper than many think, and cutting him helps the team financially. He's gone.
Ben Obomanu: No reason to cut him, but not too many reasons to keep him, either.
Deon Butler: When the team traded back into the third round to attain Butler, giving up this year's third rounder, it was assumed that they valued Butler highly and that he would be used at least somewhat this year. Instead Butler has been totally absent, except for one key catch against San Fransisco at home. It is inexcusable that Butler has not gotten the game experience he needs to prove himself. He's a keeper, and hopefully he gets his chance and takes advantage.
To be continued...Defense is next no comments
As the 2009 season becomes more and more depressing, it’s hard for some to imagine the glory days of the Seahawks, but Sports Illustrated’s tenth best team of the decade had some outstanding moments. Here are the top five after the jump!
5. Trade for Hasselbeck
Mike Holmgren made many personnel decisions that left the 12th man in confusion, but this was not one of them. After the 2000 season, Holmgren traded down from the 10th pick in the draft to the 17th and gave up a third round pick from some guy sitting behind Brett Favre on the Packer’s depth chart.
This guy just happened to be Matt Hasselbeck, who has been the constant variable that has carried the Seahawks through this decade and to a Super Bowl. For a couple of years, however, Hasselbeck looked like a bust, but in 2003 he turned it around and became the quarterback Holmgren saw in him. And by the way, the Seahawks just happened to get Steve Hutchinson at the 17th spot.
4. Qwest Field Opens
In March of 2000, owner Paul Allen said goodbye to the Kingdome and made way for Qwest Field, which opened in July of 2002. It is definitely one of the best places to watch football from because of the acoustic design and the passion of the fans. The 12th man prides itself in false starts, which have brought attention to Qwest Field as one of the loudest stadiums in the country. This field has given power to the fans and has defined the Seahawks of this decade as much as any player.
3. Shaun Alexander named MVP
Rushing behind one of the best left sides ever assembled in Walter Jones and Steve Huthcinson, Shaun Alexander ran 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns en route to a 2005 MVP season. The 27 touchdowns by Alexander was a single season record at the time, and this MVP season coupled with a Super Bowl appearance put Seattle on the map.
2. First playoff win since 1984
Despite a 13-3 2005 regular season, few outside of Seattle believed in the Seahawks’ chances. The Hawks responded with a 20-10 victory over the Redskins to send them to the Conference Championship and prove their doubters wrong.
1. Super Bowl bound
After the win against the Skins, the Seahawks faced off against the Carolina Panthers. Led by the great performances by the two cornerstones, Hasselbeck and Alexander, the Seahawks dominated the Panthers 34-14. The Hawks had finally done it, they were headed to a Super Bowl and Hawks went crazy. They had been waiting since 1976, and it finally came. All of Seattle was in a craze, and there has been no feeling like it for a Seahawks fan ever. Of course, the Hawks lost the 2005 Super Bowl in a fury of Terrible Towels, but that memory is too painful to go into here. no comments
5. Trade for Hasselbeck
Mike Holmgren made many personnel decisions that left the 12th man in confusion, but this was not one of them. After the 2000 season, Holmgren traded down from the 10th pick in the draft to the 17th and gave up a third round pick from some guy sitting behind Brett Favre on the Packer’s depth chart.
This guy just happened to be Matt Hasselbeck, who has been the constant variable that has carried the Seahawks through this decade and to a Super Bowl. For a couple of years, however, Hasselbeck looked like a bust, but in 2003 he turned it around and became the quarterback Holmgren saw in him. And by the way, the Seahawks just happened to get Steve Hutchinson at the 17th spot.
4. Qwest Field Opens
In March of 2000, owner Paul Allen said goodbye to the Kingdome and made way for Qwest Field, which opened in July of 2002. It is definitely one of the best places to watch football from because of the acoustic design and the passion of the fans. The 12th man prides itself in false starts, which have brought attention to Qwest Field as one of the loudest stadiums in the country. This field has given power to the fans and has defined the Seahawks of this decade as much as any player.
3. Shaun Alexander named MVP
Rushing behind one of the best left sides ever assembled in Walter Jones and Steve Huthcinson, Shaun Alexander ran 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns en route to a 2005 MVP season. The 27 touchdowns by Alexander was a single season record at the time, and this MVP season coupled with a Super Bowl appearance put Seattle on the map.
2. First playoff win since 1984
Despite a 13-3 2005 regular season, few outside of Seattle believed in the Seahawks’ chances. The Hawks responded with a 20-10 victory over the Redskins to send them to the Conference Championship and prove their doubters wrong.
1. Super Bowl bound
After the win against the Skins, the Seahawks faced off against the Carolina Panthers. Led by the great performances by the two cornerstones, Hasselbeck and Alexander, the Seahawks dominated the Panthers 34-14. The Hawks had finally done it, they were headed to a Super Bowl and Hawks went crazy. They had been waiting since 1976, and it finally came. All of Seattle was in a craze, and there has been no feeling like it for a Seahawks fan ever. Of course, the Hawks lost the 2005 Super Bowl in a fury of Terrible Towels, but that memory is too painful to go into here. no comments
Remember the Seattle Seahawks about five short years ago? A 13-3 squad, the Hawks convincingly won the NFC West, and won their first ever NFC Championship. MVP tailback Shaun Alexander led the NFL in scoring, touchdowns, and rushing yards. He, along with all-pro linemen Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson, and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck led this explosive offense to scoring the most points in the NFL that season.
This dream team looked like it could finally be the one to earn the Seahawks their first Superbowl victory. However, they Hawks suffered a crushing blow, losing to the Steelers 21-10. This is where the roller coaster took a dive.
In the two seasons to follow, the Hawks won the NFC West for the third and fourth years in a row, but were defeated both years in the divisional playoffs. After going 4-12 in 2008 and missing the playoffs, and losing Holmgren, it looked like there was nowhere to go but up. There was opportunity to break this dismal spell with a feisty new head coach in Jim Mora Jr., and a strong off-season pick up in T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
However, we have all seen that this was quite wrong.
The good news is that, finally, there really no where to go but up. After a 17-point loss to the one-win Tampa Bay Bucs, the Hawks have finally hit rock bottom.
But the question is, why are the Hawks so bad?
Well the obvious first thing I look to is injuries. The Hawks opened the season with a sound 28-0 shutout against the Rams. In week two, with a mostly healthy team, the Hawks couldn’t get much going and fell to the Forty-niners 10-23. Ok, so they had a bad game. But this is where the morale started falling. The offensive leader, Hasselbeck, suffered a rib injury, which kept him sidelined two games.
The Hawks failed to break 20 points in both games and couldn’t put the ball in the end-zone. So, in week 4, Hasselbeck comes back, throws four touchdowns, and the Hawks roll to a 41-0 victory over the Jags. Not the most formidable opponent, who has allowed about 350 yards a game, but a 41-0 shutout is a solid win. But the defense couldn't hold on.
A season-ending injury to all-star MLB Lofa Tatupu hurt the defense, as the Hawks have held their opponents to under 20 points just twice since he was injured. The offense has been plagued also. Offensive lineman beast Walter Jones was also put on IR for a knee injury, Hasselbeck has been bothered by his ribs and shoulders almost all year, and Julius Jones has been battling a chest injury.
Its tough to win games when your team is not at full strength, obviously.
Another big issue for the Hawks: guys aren’t stepping up. Where's past Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch? I barely even notice him during the game considering he hasn't more than five balls in a game since week four, where he caught six. Where's that one wide-out with the really long last name that was supposed to save our receiving core. I mean he's still noticeable, with the hair and all, but he's only caught three TD's all year.
What the Hawks need is some leadership. They need a guy to step up, make some big plays, and get this squad back on track. They do have a talented team. Hasselbeck is a seasoned quarterback, they have receivers that, when healthy, have the possibility of huge games. When they have a healthy defense they can hold any team to low net total yards. They also have one of the best crowds in the NFL, and play in one of the toughest places to play in the league.
So why aren’t they winning then?!?!
This team needs some good sound leadership. I won't grieve too much about this; but they really screwed up in not re-hiring Mike Holmgren. Being a veteran manager and the only coach to take this team to the Superbowl, the Hawks will suffer by not having him back.
So who do we turn to now?
I really think the leader for this team needs to be Hasselbeck. He has been through thick and thin with this squad and knows what it takes to win. If he can stay healthy, step-up into the leader roll, and make some big plays, I think he has what it takes to turn this franchise around. He is good, but he can't do it alone. The supporting cast needs to follow his example and help him out in taking this back to the top where it belongs.
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Via Seattle Times:
Did Ruskell choose to resign, with the front office knowing that they had a replacement in mind? Perhaps, Mike Holmgren will step in, I mean, he is reportedly dying to come back to the NFL.
I'm willing to bet Mike Holmgren will come back, but that's just me. no comments
Seahawks president and general manager Tim Ruskell is expected to announce his resignation at a press conference the Seahawks have called for this morning at the team's headquarters in Renton.Amidst all of the rumors and counter-rumors about Ruskell's job security, the truth has finally come out. Ruskell will announce his resignation tomorrow and the Seahawks will officially start their hunt for a new general manager. I prefer for front office changes to happen during the off-season, but with the current state of the team, I think Seahawks nation will probably be happy about this change happening right now.
Did Ruskell choose to resign, with the front office knowing that they had a replacement in mind? Perhaps, Mike Holmgren will step in, I mean, he is reportedly dying to come back to the NFL.
I'm willing to bet Mike Holmgren will come back, but that's just me. no comments
With all the rain and Seattle sports teams losing, I might have to ask my doctor if Prozac is right for me. The Seahawks got blown out by Arizona, and the Huskies lost a heartbreaker to ASU. At least the Sounders provided a bright spot in the depressing Seattle sports scene, clinching a playoff berth with their win. After a packed week of sports, read my Weekly Grades after the jump.
Seattle Seahawks: The Hawks may have lost all hope of bouncing back this season, getting destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals 27-3. The Cardinals scored two touchdowns before Matt Hasselbeck and Co. even took the field, and they never looked back. The Hawks did not seem capable of stopping Warner, who threw for 276 yards and was moving the ball at will.
Even when the Seahawks got on the field, they could not get anything going offensively. Hasselbeck went 10 for 29 for 112 yards, no touchdowns, and interception, while the Hawks tallied only 14 yards on the ground.
The Hawks suffered another devastating injury loss with Tatupu leaving the game with a season ending pectoral injury. Seattle now enters a much-needed bye week with a 2-4 record, hoping to get at least a little healthier in order to try to make a run at the playoffs. However, at this point, the Hawks will need a major turnaround in order to do so. Grade: F
Washington Huskies: The Dawgs suffered a heartbreaking loss in the desert against ASU, losing 24-17. The Huskies had just scored 10 consecutive points to tie the game at 17-17 when Danny Sullivan hit a wide open Chris McGaha on a 50-yard Hail Mary pass.
The loss left fans wondering at what could have been. Most of all, if the Huskies had done a better job at going for a first down on 3rd and 2 instead of taking a shot downfield, perhaps they would have been able to take the clock down and go into overtime. There, with momentum in their favor, perhaps they could have pulled it out.
But it was not to be, and the Huskies are now 3-4 and are looking to go 3-2 in the last five games to make it to a bowl game. Though not impossible, this is a daunting task, and the win that could have been at ASU would have made all the difference. Grade: D
Seattle Sounders FC: The Sounders provided the lone break from the downpour of last weekend, defeating the KC Wizards 3-2. The team recovered from several missed easy opportunities by Montero and capitalized on two goals by Levesque and Jaqua in order to overcome Kansas City.
With the win, the Sounders clinched a playoff spot in their inaugural season. The last time an expansion team went to the playoffs was Chicago 1998. After the final game of their season against Dallas FC, the Sounders will attempt to make a run at the championship. And with the championship match at Qwest this year, how cool would it be if the Sounders made it? Grade: A
Photo Source: Seattle Times no comments
By Kevin Neuzil
In this week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it seemed like not much went right, and for the most part nothing did. The Seahawks limp into their much needed bye week with a 2-4 record, including two losses to division opponents. This week really showed that the Hawks still have a long way to go before they can be contenders again.
+The secondary could do nothing to stop the Cardinals' receiving trio led by Fitzgerald. Warner killed the Hawks all day mostly on short to medium length passes. Our secondary was not nearly aggressive enough. However, they were able to keep Arizona from getting a big play through the air.
+The front seven did a solid job, for the most part, of containing the running game of the Cardinals. That being said, the Cardinals' run game is not very strong, putting it nicely. The Seahawk defensive line was getting off the ball quickly but could not seem to put much pressure on Warner with the exception of a few plays. Curry was very aggressive, one of the few on the field for the Hawks today. Tatupu's injury is devastating, however Hawthorne is a competent replacement and Hill's hopeful return will provide the veteran leadership lost with Lofa.
+Offensively, there is not much to say. If it wasn't for the garbage yards Hasselbeck got at the end of the game, Jon Ryan would have had more yards than number 8. The running game was absolutely terrible, and even Carlson who is normally the one consistent player on offense, had a key drop and did not look his best.
Player of the game: Jon Ryan, had a huge pass on a fake punt which set up the Seahawks' one score as well as his great punts which seem to be the one constant on this team.
Is it time to panic yet? Probably. Getting players back after the bye will help, but even then this team has to make a major turnaround. no comments
In this week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it seemed like not much went right, and for the most part nothing did. The Seahawks limp into their much needed bye week with a 2-4 record, including two losses to division opponents. This week really showed that the Hawks still have a long way to go before they can be contenders again.
+The secondary could do nothing to stop the Cardinals' receiving trio led by Fitzgerald. Warner killed the Hawks all day mostly on short to medium length passes. Our secondary was not nearly aggressive enough. However, they were able to keep Arizona from getting a big play through the air.
+The front seven did a solid job, for the most part, of containing the running game of the Cardinals. That being said, the Cardinals' run game is not very strong, putting it nicely. The Seahawk defensive line was getting off the ball quickly but could not seem to put much pressure on Warner with the exception of a few plays. Curry was very aggressive, one of the few on the field for the Hawks today. Tatupu's injury is devastating, however Hawthorne is a competent replacement and Hill's hopeful return will provide the veteran leadership lost with Lofa.
+Offensively, there is not much to say. If it wasn't for the garbage yards Hasselbeck got at the end of the game, Jon Ryan would have had more yards than number 8. The running game was absolutely terrible, and even Carlson who is normally the one consistent player on offense, had a key drop and did not look his best.
Player of the game: Jon Ryan, had a huge pass on a fake punt which set up the Seahawks' one score as well as his great punts which seem to be the one constant on this team.
Is it time to panic yet? Probably. Getting players back after the bye will help, but even then this team has to make a major turnaround. no comments
