54-Man Roster

Offense (27)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
RB/FB (6) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, Josh Scobey, David Kirtman
WR (6) - Darrell Jackson, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Peter Warrick, DJ Hackett, Maurice Mann
TE (3) - Jerramy Stevens, Itula Mili, Will Heller
OT/OG (7) Walter Jones, Sean Locklear, Floyd Womack, Chris Gray, Tom Ashworth, Ray Willis, Rob Sims
C (2) - Robbie Tobeck, Chris Spencer

Defense (24)
DE (4) - Grant Wistrom, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Chris Cooper
DT (5) Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill
OLB (5) - Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, D.D. Lewis, Kevin Bentley, Isaiah Kacyvenski
MLB (2) - Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides
SS/FS (3) - Ken Hamlin, Michael Boulware, Oliver Celestin
CB (5) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon, Kelly Jennings, Jordan Babineaux, Jimmy Williams

Special Teams (3)
K - Josh Brown
P - Ryan Plackemeier
LS - J.P. Darche

The above roster includes 54 players, so obviously at least one of them will not make the team. It wouldn't be surprising if at least 51 of them make the 53-man roster. The following guys are the least safe: DL Chris Cooper, LB Isaiah Kacyvenski, S Oliver Celestin, CB Jimmy Williams, WR Maurice Mann, FB David Kirtman, KR Josh Scobey.

It would make the most sense if it was one of the offensive players that didn't make the team, which means either David Kirtman or Maurice Mann. Mann is not eligible for the practice squad, so maybe that gives him a leg up. Neither could make the team if the Seahawks feel they need to add a fourth tight end.

DE Kemp Rasmussen and DE Joe Tafoya could also challenge Chris Cooper for his roster spot, or the team could go with only 8 defensive lineman. Etric Pruitt might challenge Oliver Celestin for a spot as well. However, neither of those guys would likely get picked up by someone else, at least not both of them.

The Seahawks always have the option of going with only 7 DBs and bringing back either Celestin or Pruitt from the practice squad later in the season if someone in the secondary gets injured. Shaunard Harts might also be available if the team gets in trouble down the line. The final safety position could also be filled by a veteran if a decent one gets cut from another team.

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What Game? Only Roster Cuts Important

The Seahawks play the Raiders tonight at 7pm, but it is hardly worth watching. Fans will be holding their breath for the first series or two, hoping that none of the starters get injured. The battles for the final roster spots are the only reason to watch the game. In theory, players will be fighting for those final spots, but in reality Tim Ruskell and Mike Holmgren already have the 53-man roster set. The last few names are in pencil, but it would take a lot in one game to overshadow everything else that has taken place the entire offseason.

David Greene will finally get a chance for some extended playing time. He needs to play decently well to keep his roster spot, but he doesn't have to do anything special. If he plays at all like he did against Dallas, then he will be fine. WR Maurice Mann and DE/DT Chris Cooper seem to have done enough to earn roster spots. It would be nice to see Cooper get some work at DE (he has been playing DT almost exclusively). Cooper and Mann might need a decent showing to make sure they keep their spots. If WR Ben Obomanu is still returning kicks, then he should be considered in the mix, if he isn't then he is probably headed to the practice squad.

The loss of Mike Green and the release of Shaunard Harts probably means that CB Jimmy Williams and S Oliver Celestin will make the team. The Seahawks could look to replace one of them if a decent veteran from another team gets cut. If Jimmy Williams is returning punts, it means WR Peter Warrick is in danger of getting cut, but Warrick should be fine. A lot has been made of his dropped pass, especially his apparently indifferent demeanor following a drop against the Chargers. If it comes down to giving Jimmy Williams or Peter Warrick a roster spot, then Williams' two fumbles against the Redskins in the playoffs last year should be given more attention than the reaction to a dropped passes in a preseason game.

On the surface, the injuries to the tight ends could cause the team to keep four tight ends going into the season. That would not be good for a fringe player like David Kirtman. However, the loss of the tight ends and Kirtman's receiving ability might combine to make him valuable enough to keep around, especially considering the need for another fullback if this turns out to be Mack Strong's final season.

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Safety in Numbers

As previously mentioned, the injury to backup safety Mike Green is something fans should be focusing on, instead of the loss of an inexperienced third string quarterback. The team actually decided to get rid of Hamdan; the same cannot be said of Mike Green.

The loss of Mike Green is important. He played very well in camp and the preseason and was going to be the primary backup at both safety positions. Green was also realistically challenging Michael Boulware for some starts. Losing him for the year raises a lot of questions about the secondary. Fortunately, we are going to pull a RadioShack - "You've Got Questions. We've got Answers."

The biggest question is what the team will do if one of the starting safeties gets injured. FS Ken Hamlin is coming off a fractured skull and SS Michael Boulware had offseason knee surgery, so more than likely one or both of them are going to miss some games this year. How to replace Ken Hamlin has the easier answer: Jordan Babineaux. Big Play Babs has the tackling, playmaking, and coverage ability to be a productive free safety. The only Seahawk with more tackles than Babineaux last year was MLB Lofa Tatupu. Babineaux was also tied with Boulware and Tatupu for the team lead with 4 takeaways. Babineaux can get more work at free safety in practice and still be counted on to play nickel corner. The qualities in a good nickel corner and a free safety are not all that different.

Babineaux should not be considered the answer at strong safety though. He would be fine in some situations, but would really struggle in others. A strong safety plays a lot like a free safety in passing situations, but the strong safety needs to play like a linebacker in other situations. The Seahawks could scheme to protect Babineaux if he had to play strong safety, but that would be a big change from what they do with Boulware, who played linebacker in college.

The team could keep Etric Pruitt or Oliver Celestin around, both can play either safety position, but neither player is especially talented. Someone decent might get cut from another squad, but the Seahawks have the solution already on the team, and his name is Julian Peterson. Julian Peterson is an excellent linebacker, but his versatility and athleticism are his most important assets.

If Michael Boulware needs to miss some time, then Julian Peterson can drop back into Michael Boulware's strong safety position. That would even give him an argument to wear #44. Peterson is more than capable of playing well as a strong safety, and the defense could do the same things they do with Michael Boulware. He can hit and he can cover tight ends and running backs. The Seahawks also have D.D. Lewis sitting on the bench to fill the void left by removing Peterson from the linebacking corps. Leroy Hill would move over to the weakside to replace Peterson and Lewis would come in and play on the strongside, where he played very well last season as a starter.

With Babineaux being asked to play more safety, the team needs to keep another cornerback on the roster. Were something to happen to Ken Hamlin, then Babineaux would move into the starting line-up and no longer be available as the nickel corner. Kelly Jennings could fill that role, but the team still needs depth. That extra guy is probably Jimmy Williams. He may not have had much value as a 5th cornerback a few weeks ago, but with Mike Green done for the year, Williams can be a decent 4th cornerback if called upon.

Jimmy Williams is nothing special, but his value skyrockets without Mike Green around. The Seahawks let Williams start last season during the meaningless game against Green Bay, and he had 9 tackles and tallied an interception. He also had an interception when he played during the second half of the Monday Night blowout at Philadelphia. Williams also started 6 games for San Francisco in 2004.

To get an idea of how vulnerable the Seahawks are now that Green is no longer in the picture, we can do a little exercise by removing some of the starters. For the sake of illustration, let's lose CB Marcus Trufant, FS Ken Hamlin, and SS Michael Boulware. That's a lot of talent to be taking out of the equation. Under that extreme scenario, the team could use Kelly Herndon and Kelly Jennings as the starting cornerbacks, Babineaux at free safety, Peterson at strong safety, and Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, and D.D. Lewis as the linebackers. That is far from ideal, but most teams could not field a back seven with that much talent if they lost three extremely good starters in the secondary. Jimmy Williams could come in and be the nickel corner in that scenario.

No other injury combination would be more extreme than that, unless you want to remove all of the starters in the secondary, and no team looks very good under those circumstances.

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Quarterback Concerns

While some Seahawks fans are coping with the tragic loss of Gibran Hamdan, others are worried about more important things, like the injuries to the top two tight ends on the depth chart and the season ending injury to the backup at both safety positions, Mike Green. The concern about the third string quarterback is still valid with David Greene not looking like anything special, but the problem would be the same if Hamdan were around and Greene was sent packing.

It would still be nice if the Seahawks tried to land a veteran if anyone worthwhile gets cut from another team. Tim Rattay will get cut in Tampa Bay if Jay Fiedler proves ready to go. There is also a decent chance either Kelly Holcomb or Craig Nall will be let go in Buffalo with J.P Losman looking like a lock to be the starter.

Craig Nall would have been the better option for the Seahawks if he could have been brought in at the start of camp, but he has very limited playing experience. He has more than Seneca Wallace and David Greene combined, but that is not hard to accomplish. Nall has been getting a decent amount of work in the preseason and the team made a big investment in him, so he will probably stick around. The majority of the money they spent on Nall is a sunk cost, and they would get a big salary cap hit next year if they had to pay off his signing bonus.

Kelly Holcomb's financial situation is a lot different. He is scheduled to make just under $4 million over the next three seasons. If Losman has really won the starting job, then that is way too much to be paying Holcomb to ride the bench, especially with Nall around. Holcomb is more of a known quantity, but he has only attempted 9 passes in the entire preseason, which suggests they could be trying to keep him healthy so they are not on the hook for his salary if he gets injured. Holcomb is a gamer and would be a perfect #3 for the Seahawks right now.

Holcomb is one of those guys that is always being looked past because he lacks the ideal physical tools. The Browns were always trying to keep Tim Couch ahead of him on the depth chart, even though Holcomb consistently outperformed him. Buffalo fans would not be too happy if they let Holcomb go, that is if they like winning games. Holcomb started 8 games last year, going 4-4. That is pretty impressive when you consider the team went 1-7 in their other 8 games. Three of Holcomb's wins came against winning teams (Miami, Kansas City, and Cincinnati) and two of his losses were to division winners Denver and New England.

And it was Holcomb that deserves the credit for those victories. Buffalo was horrible last year, but Holcomb managed to complete 67.4% of his passes, tossing 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He finished the year with an 85.6 passer rating. Last season was not an aberration either. For his career, he has a 64.6% completion percentage, 37 touchdowns, 37 interceptions and a passer rating of 79.9. Those numbers would look even better if you threw out the 1 touchdown and 8 interecptions he compiled in a spot duty role for the 3-13 Indianpolis Colts during his second season (1997). The rest of his production comes from what he did in the last four seasons.

Holcomb is nothing special, but he is capable of leading a team to wins. He does not have great arm strength, but he would not be asked to make long down-field throws in Mike Holmgren's offense. He also comes with 21 career starts, including 20 in the last four years. Someone like Holcomb or Rattay would provide what both Greene and Hamdan can't, namely experience and proven production as a starter in the NFL. Fans should be looking at players like this instead of someone like Marques Tuiasosopo.

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Seahawks Release Hamdan, Harts, and 13 Others

In a surprising move, the Seahawks released Gibran Hamdan as one of the 14 players required to be let go by tomorrow (Tuesday, August 29th), instead of waiting until the final cutdown on September 2nd. Many fans had been rooting for the underdog Hamdan to make the team and I appear to be one of the few that actually expected David Greene to make the team.

The Seattle Seahawks announced the release of 15 players and the addition of one to reach the NFL's mandatory roster limit of 75.

The following players were waived:
CB Reggie Austin, LB Evan Benjamin, WR Tony Brown, T Jeff Bolton, FB Ran Carthon, CB Lance Frazier, DT Alex Guerrero, QB Gibran Hamdan, S Brandon Haw, P Gabe Lindstrom, C Taylor Schmidt, WR Taco Wallace, and TE Keith Willis

The following veteran contract was terminated:
S Shaunard Harts

The following player was waived/injury:
WR Keenan Howry

The Seahawks signed TE Leonard Stephens and placed WR Skyler Fulton on reserve/NFLEL.

Although the Hamdan release is getting more attention, the release of Shaunard Harts is probably the bigger story considering Mike Green is probably out for the year with a lisfranc injury. The Seahawks might need to do something to address the strong safety position. Jordan Babineaux will get more work at free safety and backup Ken Hamlin, but he is not especially well-suited to play strong safety. This also means that CB Jimmy Williams is almost certain to make the team.

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Itula Mili and Mike Green Injured

TE Itula Mili and SS/FS Mike Green both left the San Diego game early with injuries. The Mili injury is probably going to worse in terms of how severe it is and how much it will affect the team. It is pointless to speculate too much until the team gets a more detailed diagnosis of each player.

The injury to Green gives Shaunard Harts a much better chance to make the team, and his interception didn't hurt either. The play of the secondary this preseason, Green in particular, could have made the Seahawks feel comfortable enough to go with 7 DBs. This little injury scare will probably push the coaches to keep 8 DBs and Harts will be that eighth guy.

The tight end problem will be more difficult to fix. Will Heller does not appear to be capable of being a #1 tight end or playing especially effectively in single-TE sets. Mili is probably going to at least be questionable for the season opener. The Seahawks are going to need another tight end to start the year in addition to Heller, or at least someone better.

The best trade options would be David Martin or Donald Lee from Green Bay, or Zach Hilton from New Orleans. It helps that those teams have holes they need to fill, so draft picks are more valuable to them. Martin, Lee, and Hilton are all set to hit free agency after this season, so Green Bay or New Orleans probably wouldn't require too much to part with one of them. All three guys are also relatively young - Martin (27), Lee (26), Hilton (26) - so they could be a solution for the Seahawks for more than just one year if things worked out this season. It helps that Hilton has been running with the third team in New Orleans, and that Green Bay also has Bubba Franks, who is only 28 himself. Zeron Flemister remains the best free agent option.

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Dress Rehearsal

The Seahawks take on the Chargers tonight at 8pm in San Diego. This will be the dress rehearsal for opening night in Detroit on September 10th. Most of the starters figure to be out of the line-up or play very sparingly against Oakland. The key to the game is to get through it without anybody getting injured.

The Seahawks might play well because of the Dallas game. They just faced the 3-4, so they could be better prepared because of it, even though they struggled against Dallas. Someone might also want to tell reserve RG Ray Willis he needs to block the OLB instead of the DE, so we don't lose a QB or RB for the season.

LaDanian Tomlinson isn't going to play, and I really wish Shaun Alexander didn't either. Maurice Morris could use the reps against a good defense. Alexander doesn't need them and it seems stupid to risk getting him injured in a meaningless game. OLB Shawne Merrimen probably ended Priest Holmes career with a big hit last year, so why risk it? The offense should be able to move the ball better with Morris in there anyway because Alexander doesn't run hard in the preseason.

The second half could be exciting with the upcoming roster cutdown. The guys on the fringe of the roster will be playing as hard as they can to ensure they are not among the 14 players the Seahawks must release by Tuesday. The NFL Europe exemptions expire with this cutdown, so most of those guys should be gone, except QB Gibran Hamdan. CB Reggie Austin is probably the other NFL Europe player most likely to stick around for another week. P Gabe Lindstrom, WR C.J. Jones, CB Lance Frazier, FS Brandon Haw, and RB Jimmy Dixon could all easily be let go. The once promising WR Skyler Fulton never passed a physical or participated in training camp due to his shoulder injury. The Seahawks retain his rights, but he does not count against the roster limits.

The majority of the other cuts will most likely come from the following list of players: CB Gerard Ross, QB Travis Lulay, RB Ran Carthon, CB Kevin Hobbs, SS Oliver Celestin, LB Launce Laury, LB Evan Benjamin, OG Jason Murphy, OC Taylor Schmidt, DE John Syptak, WR Justin Surrency, and DT Alex Guerrero. WR Tony Brown, WR Taco Wallace, WR Keenan Howry, and RB Marquis Weeks are not necessarily safe either.

FS Shaunard Harts and maybe CB Jimmy Williams are probably the leading candidates to be one of the veteran players the team could release to give a chance to sign on with someone else, although the team would probably be reticent to let Harts or Williams go just yet because either could still very well make the team.

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All D-Jacked Up

So who is Darrell Jackson? Some people thing he is a selfish jerk that only cares about his money and never puts the team first. Others think he is alright, but nothing special on the field. His lingering knee issue is certainly cause for concern, but Jackson only missed three games in his first five seasons before sitting out ten games last year. Everyone is bound to run into an injury once in awhile, but the possible degenerative nature of his injury should have us worried. Then again, Brett Favre was diagnosed with a degenerative hip condition when he was traded to the Green Bay Packers, but he is still working on his streak of 221 consecutive regular season starts.

As far as his performance on the field, D-Jack is one of the best, most consistent receivers in the league. With the exception of a few elite receivers, no one has been better than him since he came into the league. As a rookie in 2001, he played in all 16 games, starting 9 games. He caught 53 balls for 716 yards and led the team with 6 touchdown grabs. Not bad for a rookie on a 6-10 team that had zero pro bowlers.

Over the next four years - his first four full seasons as a starter, Jackson played in 61 of 64 games, missing 3 games in 2002. During those four years, he ranked 8th in the NFL with 28 receiving touchdowns, 11th with 4,032 receiving yards, and 15th with 287 receptions. So, he averaged 72 catches, just over 1,000 yards and exactly 7 touchdowns per year. That might not sound as good as it really is.

Only Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, Joe Horn, Torry Holt, Hines Ward, and Derrick Mason had more touchdowns, yards and receptions. Jimmy Smith and Isaac Bruce had more yards and receptions, but fewer touchdowns. That is pretty lofty company. Those other 9 receivers have combined for 40 pro bowl appearances. It is not a stretch to say Darrell Jackson has been a little underrated, especially when you consider his touchdown numbers suffer from the emphasis put on Shaun Alexander and the running game once the team gets close.

It's not like Jackson had a terrible season last year, he just got hurt. He was putting up silly numbers before his injury. He was on pace to finish with 116 receptions and over 1,500 yards through the first four games. He then missed the next 10 weeks (9 games). In his first game back, he had a nice little 7 catch, 72 yard effort and topped it off with a come-from-behind game winning touchdown grab in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks then played a couple of meaningless games against the Colts and Packers with everything locked up. He got limited action in the Colts game and did not play against the Packers.

Darrell Jackson played even better in the postseason. Last year, he had 20 catches for 268 yards with 2 touchdowns in the Seahawks' three playoff games. He should have had another touchdown if not for the controversial pass interference call in the Super Bowl. As it stands, in his 5 career postseason games, he has 37 catches for 454 yards with 3 touchdowns. If he kept up that pace for an entire season he would have 118 catches for 1450 yards and 10 touchdowns (it would have been 13 touchdowns if you factored in the one that was stolen by the zebras in the Super Bowl).

Maybe Darrell Jackson shouldn't be considered a jerk for asking for more money, and more people should start considering him one of the elite receivers in the NFL. The only concern people should have about D-Jack is whether or not he can avoid re-injuring his knee. He played superb last year when he came back after missing 10 weeks of practice, so that is not a concern. If his knee holds up, he should probably be playing in Honolulu in February.

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A Day in Seattle?

The Bears just waived TE Tim Day. He was a free agent rookie, but many people thought he would be drafted as early as the fourth round. I was really hoping the Seahawks would sign him when he went undrafted. He is a semi-local guy (went to Oregon), is a good receiver and a pretty decent blocker. Durability is his main concern and the Seahawks might be especially leery of the fact he tore the meniscus in his left knee in 2001, but he was healthy his junior and senior years.

Some of what Scouts, Inc. has to say about him:
"Very reliable receiver. Hard worker who continues to improve with more game-experience and off-season training. Has great instincts as a receiver...He will make the tough catch in traffic and will look the ball in before turning upfield...He has adequate technique as a blocker...Will wall defenders off and does a good job of hitting the moving target in space. Takes good angles as a run blocker."

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Seneca Wallace Goes to Learning Center

Andrea Kramer reported the following on NBC's broadcast of the Seahawks-Colts game on Sunday Night Football:

"Quarterback coach Jim Zorn for the Seahawks told me that Seneca Wallace had difficulty focusing and visualizing things and paying attention in meetings. After his rookie year, they sent him to a learning center where he could work on his communication skills. It was a ten-week course, 4 hours a day, very intense training. He even took his playbook there so they could help him work on the language of football and ways to better visualize things. For example, he told me that one of their coverages, their cover 9 is called cloud, so he learned that he had to visualize a cloud and that would help him.

"Zorn told me that he saw his memorization just zoom. It made a very very big difference for him, and that most importantly it was a big boost for Seneca's confidence. Zorn's latest goal is to help Wallace improve his verbal skills at the line of scrimmage, so this offseason they got him a speech coach."

This program sounds very similar to the 10-week programs offered by Speech Language & Learning Services, which has treatment locations in Everett, Seattle, Redmond, Tacoma, and Olympia.

It sounds like Zorn is willing to do whatever it takes to make Seneca Wallace a better quarterback. The story is more interesting because of Seneca Wallace's past academic struggles.

According to Chris Fowler of ESPN.com, "The NCAA clearinghouse nixed a few of the credits on his high school transcript, so instead of sitting out the season in Corvallis, he opted to return to California at Sacramento City Junior College (October 3, 2001)."

According to San Francisco's Bay Crossings Magazine, he petitioned the NCAA clearinghouse to save his scholarship after taking three English classes his high school senior year (sophomore, junior, and senior English), but it was not accepted. His mother's health also contributed to his decision to move back home to attend Sacremento City College. She was initially diagnosed with cancer, but further tests showed she did not have breast cancer, but rather a form of leukemia. It was discovered in the early stages and was treatable.

According to Tom Dienhart of The Sporting News, "Most schools wanted Wallace to be a defensive back. He would have been just that at Oregon State, but an academic snafu sent him packing as a freshman to a junior college. Wallace was a receiver in his first year of junior college ball before an injury to the starting quarterback opened the door (October 7, 2002)."

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Leonard Weaver's Stiff-Arm

The following clip of Leonard Weaver's stiff-arm speaks for itself. It is from the Week 6 (2005) blowout win over Houston. The player being levelled is SS C.C. Brown (he was a 6th round pick in 2005 for the Texans).

Weaver Stiff-Arm Video (Weaver.mpg - 4.74 MB)

I had been looking for this for awhile and renewed my search after Weaver threw down another devastating stiff-arm against the Colts (Video).

He also had a dominant run last preseason against the Saints (shown below). He tries to put a stiff-arm on the safety, but basically just shoves him to the ground, and he in turn knocks over the linebacker. The players remind me of bowling pins when someone picks up a tough spare. It would be nice if he started making runs like these when it matters.

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Roster Shake-Up

Offense (27)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
RB/FB (6) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, David Kirtman, Josh Scobey
WR (6) - Darrell Jackson, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Peter Warrick, DJ Hackett, Ben Obomanu
TE (3) - Jerramy Stevens, Itula Mili, Will Heller
OT/OG (7) Walter Jones, Sean Locklear, Floyd Womack, Chris Gray, Tom Ashworth, Ray Willis, Rob Sims
C (2) - Robbie Tobeck, Chris Spencer

Defense (22)
DE (3) - Grant Wistrom, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp
DT (5) Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill
OLB (5) - Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, D.D. Lewis, Kevin Bentley, Isaiah Kacyvenski
ILB (2) - Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides
SS (2) - Michael Boulware, Mike Green (SS/FS)
FS (1) - Ken Hamlin
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon, Kelly Jennings, Jordan Babineaux

Special Teams (3)
K - Josh Brown
P - Ryan Plackemeier
LS - J.P. Darche

This is a look at what could happen if they feel comfortable going with only 7 DBs, which is not out of the question. The above only makes 52 guys. That leaves one spot for that fourth defensive end or an eighth defensive back. I would tend to think the spot would go to a DE and that it would be Kemp Rasmussen at this point.

The depth at LB allows us to use Peterson as a DE in certain situations. The team can either bring in the nickel back and go with 2 LBs or we could go with our standard secondary package with Tatupu, Hill, and Lewis at LB and Peterson as the 2nd DE.

I am not handing the sixth receiver spot to Obomanu, but he is in the lead as of right now. It is down to him and Mann. No one else is challenging. Kirtman would be the running back left out in the cold at this point if they only keep five.

Heller could lose the 3rd TE role to Matt Murphy. I think Holmgren might want to go that route, but Heller would probably have Ruskell's support and he is the decider.

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Seahawks vs. Colts Digested

Kickoff Returns
Josh Scobey got his first chance to fend off any challengers for his kick returning duties. He made the most of it, taking the kick back 55 yards. It will be hard for the team not to keep him around when no one else has been impressive at all. Ben Obomanu looked like he might have done well, but he ran into his own blocker two different times. He is probably too green for that job.

Wide Receivers
Obomanu is finally starting to play well again and distanced himself ever so slightly from Maurice Mann, who did nothing against the Colts. They get in there earlier than any of the other guys battling for that final spot. Peter Warrick was already a lock, but he carved it in stone with his punt return and a great run-after-the-catch. The fact that they were trying Obomanu on kickoff returns was a good sign for him. Keenan Howry, Taco Wallace, and C.J. Jones are all out of the picture. Howry is hurt again and Taco Wallace has not played well enough. C.J. Jones would need to do a lot to distinguish himself, but he has not yet. He also only gets to play at the end of the game, which should give you an idea of what the team thinks of him.

Video from FSN on the final receiver spot, including some comments by Mike Holmgren and Keenan Howry (this is from before the Colts game). If you let it play to the next video, it should be an interview with Joe Jurevicius. It is hard to begrudge a guy wanting to go play in his hometown, especially when he says things like "the Seattle Seahawks are a great organization."

Defensive Line
DT Chris Cooper looks really good. He probably is not going to get get a roster spot if everyone else gets healthy, but if the Seahawks need to put a DT on IR, then it looks like he could make an impact as the 5th DT. DE Kemp Rasmussen looked great running with TE Bryan Fletcher on that pass, but he has been relatively quiet to this point.

Peterson has been lining up as a situational DE a lot in the two preseason games. His versatility could allow Seattle to go with only 8 defensive linemen (3 defensive ends). That seems unlikely, but it is an intriguing idea.

Running Backs
The quality play and versatility of Mike Green (SS/FS) and Jordan Babineaux (CB/FS) might allow the Seahawks to keep only 7 DBs. That would free up enough spots that we could keep a 6th WR and 6 RBs (keeping Scobey, Weaver and Kirtman), while still leaving a spot for either a fourth tight end until Stevens returns or still keeping 9 defensive lineman.

Quarterbacks
Shaun King looked better than any of the other backups in the game. He was only 14 of 22, but the Colts receivers dropped five of his passes and he threw two away to avoid getting sacked on plays where a lineman missed his assignment. He looked more in control of that offense and comfortable than Seneca Wallace. That is saying quite a bit because Seneca played pretty well.

Gibran Hamdan did not get much of an opportunity. Matt Hasselbeck will get his dress rehearsal next week, so there will be almost no time for the third string. If there is, it will probably be Greene that comes in. Greene and Hamdan will both see action in the final game unless they have already given Greene the job by then.

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Jennings Will Be Tested

The things to watch in the Colts game are much the same as those in the Dallas game.

We will still want to keep a close eye on the tight end situation because this group is what we have for at least the first quarter of the season, rather than just who we have until Stevens comes back in a week.

The other good test will be for Kelly Jennings. Brandon Stokley is going to miss the game, but Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison will test our corners. Manning prepares like crazy, even for preseason games. It will be a good opportunity to gage how well Jennings can do at this level against top competition. He might end up looking a little foolish at times, but Manning does that to almost everyone. The Colts starters will play 18-25 snaps.

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Gibran Gets His Chance

Gibran Hamdan will be the third quarterback off the bench tomorrow in Indianapolis. This will be the first time he has ever taken a snap against NFL competition. Last week, QB Dave Ragone (St. Louis) played in the fourth quarter against the Colts. He was 7 of 11 for 80 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Hamdan might press a little bit because he knows this is his one shot to show he has what it takes to make it in the real NFL. What he did in Europe got him to this point, but it means nothing.

David Greene played well in the Dallas game and Hamdan won't be given enough time to do substantially better than him. Greene was 7 of 11 for 53 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against the Cowboys. Hamdan needs to do at least as well as Greene did against Dallas to maintain the time sharing arrangement for the rest of the preseason games. Greene did not put up big yardage or make down-field throws, but that is not what the team will expect out of the emergency quarterback.

If you watch Philip Rivers, he completes short, safe passes and tries to move the chains. Brad Johnson is asked to do the same thing for the Minnesota Vikings. When the third quarterback comes in for the Seahawks, the offense is built to allow him to manage the game, complete passes, and methodically move down the field. The idea is to minimize costly mistakes and allow the defense to help win games. Hamdan is used to being a star in Europe and making big throws. If he tries to do that on Sunday, or in the NFL in general, then he has a good chance to throw a lot of interceptions and incompletions. Hamdan needs to know his place in the offense and take what the defense gives him.

This game will also give us a chance to check out Shaun King. He was available as a cheap veteran option to bring in as a third quarterback. He will be the third quarterback for the Colts and should be playing at the same time as Hamdan.

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Tight End Fix

There are some intriguing ideas for trade possibilities to acquire a tight end. C Pat Ross will be given a great chance to audition for other teams during the preseason games, but it is hard to see him making our roster.

Cleveland is a mess at center with LeCharles Bentley's injury, Bob Hallen's retirement, and Alonzo Ephraim's suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Ross could probably start for them. They have TE Kellen Winslow back from injury, and TE Steve Heiden is a decent player. A Ross for Heiden deal seems at least feasible, maybe packaged with a late round draft pick conditional on the playing time of Pat Ross for the Browns.

Green Bay is a mess on the interior of their line. Jeff Jagodzinski is implementing the zone-blocking scheme that he used in Denver and Atlanta. Ross is a good fit for that and Green Bay has three decent tight ends in Bubba Franks, Donald Lee, and David Martin. They could easily get rid of one of them. All three guys obviously have experience in the West Coast Offense.

New Orleans is ok at center, but the offensive line is not good as a whole. Zach Hilton looks like a promising young tight end, but he is primarily a pass-catcher. Sean Payton likes his tight ends to do a lot of blocking, and Hilton has been running with the third team behind Ernie Conwell and Mark Campbell. Hilton is a less polished version of Jerramy Stevens at 6'8", 268.

Those are just some of the realistic possibilities out there.

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Stevens Re-injurs Knee

Jerramy Stevens banged his knee into the ground at practice today and had to be carted off. He has been taken to get an MRI and results should be available this afternoon. This is big news as the Seahawks would be extremely thin at tight end if Stevens were to miss significant time.

I would think Mike Gomez would be the direction the Seahawks would go in if Stevens is going to miss considerable time, depending on how serious his injury is. It did not seem like it was anything major, just that he was not going to win the third TE spot.

Zeron Flemister is probably the best veteran free agent tight end out there, which is not saying much. New England's Daniel Graham or one of the Green Bay tight ends (Bubba Franks, Donald Lee, David Martin) might be available for trade.

Update: Stevens has a torn meniscus in his surgically repaired knee. He will have surgery at 2 p.m. Friday at the Seattle Surgery Center to repair the injury and will be out at least six weeks. That puts him back just before the Week Four matchup in Chicago. He will most likely miss that game and we will see him back on the field on October 15 (Week Six) against St. Louis following the Seahawks' bye week, assuming he does not run into any complications.

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AFC West Preview

Finishing Order
1) San Diego Chargers
2) Denver Broncos
3) Kansas City Chiefs
4) Oakland Raiders

The top three teams in the division did relatively little in the offseason. They were all good last year and they will all be good again. The loss of offensive coordinators in Denver and Kansas City could cause problems, and Drew Brees' depature could hurt San Diego. Overall, all three teams should be about as good as they were last season and that probably means San Diego wins the division.

Denver and Kansas City get much tougher schedules because of their better finishes last season. Denver gets New England and Indianapolis, Kansas City draws Miami and Jacksonville, and San Diego plays Buffalo and Tennessee. All three teams will probably finish with double-digit wins, but San Diego could have a slight edge due to the scheduling. They do not have to play Kansas City until Week 7 or Denver until Week 11, which gives Philip Rivers time to get comfortable. The home games that San Diego needs to win against those two teams come in Weeks 14 and 15.

All three teams will challenge for the division crown and the two wildcard spots. Ty Law might not be enough to get the Kansas City defense over the hump and the offense will take a hit with the loss of Willie Roaf. They will still be a tough team every week, but they could finish just outside the playoffs again. Oakland is one of handful of teams that have no chance at winning their division, and will almost certainly finish a distant last.

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Team Preview: Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos (13-3)
Denver did not make many offseason changes, but they might have shot themselves in the foot by letting a few key players go. The Broncos could easily slide back down to the 10-6 or 9-7 range where they were the three seasons prior last year or they could maintain their spot at the top of the AFC West.

It is still hard to trust Jake Plummer to lead an offense, be he defintely earned the No Mistake Jake moniker last year. Plummer might revert to his old form of throwing about as many interceptions as touchdowns. He could maintain his high level of play, but the loss of offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak (Houston), RB Mike Anderson (Baltimore), and TE Jeb Putzier (Houston) could all contribute to some regression in Plummer's progress. QB Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt) was an excellent pick for the future, but he should not make an impact this year. If anything, his presence might get under Plummer's skin and cause him to play worse.

Only Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, LaDanian Tomlinson, and Edgerrin James had both more rushing yards and more touchdowns than Mike Anderson last year. Denver made no effort to re-sign him and that might have been a mistake. Putzier is not special, but he was probably the best tight end to switch teams in free agency. The fact that Kubiak brought Putzier with him to Houston tells us something about Putzier's value. Second-round pick TE Tony Scheffler (Western Michigan) could turn into a good player, but he is not a good blocker and comes from a small school.

The offense should get a big boost if WR Javon Walker (Green Bay) gets back to his pro bowl form of 2004. However, Walker is coming off a serious knee injury. Brett Favre has made a lot of average receivers look good over the years, so it remains to be seen if Walker will play well with Plummer tossing him the ball. WR Rod Smith is on the decline and this could be the year his age really catches up with him. It is hard to believe WR Ashley Lelie will open the season in a Broncos uniform and he is killing his chances to make an impact. If Javon Walker is fully-recovered and can play well without Favre, Rod Smith maintains his level of play, and Ashley Lelie comes in and contributes then this could be one of the best receiving corps in the league. With all the question marks, it could end up being one of the worst. Fourth-rounder WR Brandon Marshall (Central Florida) is a playmaker, but he might not be ready to contribute right away.

Good offensive line play has been a staple in Denver with their zone-blocking scheme. Jeff Jagodzinski (now in Green Bay after a brief stint Atlanta) and Gary Kubiak are both gone. The line could take a step back because of it, but that seems unlikely. They should once again easily be a top ten line, led by pro bowler C Tom Nalen and an outstanding player in LT Matt Lepsis. He should make the pro bowl now that Willie Roaf has retired. Only Indianapolis has allowed fewer sacks than this group the past two seasons.

The defense should be about as good as they were last year. They are solid in the secondary led by CB Champ Bailey, who is probably the best corner in the league. CB Darrent Williams, FS John Lynch, and SS Nick Ferguson are all solid players as well. MLB Al Wilson is one of the best in the league at his position and anchors that linebacker group.

The problem with Denver is the defensive line and an anemic pass-rush. Mike Shanahan brought in four guys (DE Courtney Brown, DE Ebenezer Ekuban, DT Michael Myers, DT Gerard Warren) from the Cleveland Browns last offseason. The group played well, but that had a lot to do with the leadership of DE Bryce Fisher (Baltimore). The Broncos made no effort to keep Fisher either, which could also have been a mistake. He is going to start for the Ravens. Shanahan went back to Cleveland to get another defensive linemen in DE Kenard Lang, but he won't make an impact. The team only took one defensive player in the draft and waited until the fourth round to do so, but they got the right guy. DE Elvis Dumervil (Louisville) led the NCAA in sacks last year with 20 and also had 11 forced fumbles. His size and inconsistency make him a candidate to be nothing more than pass-rush specialist on third-down, but that happens to be exactly what Denver needs.

The Broncos could feel some serious ramifications from the loss of Gary Kubiak and the three guys that they made no effort to keep around. They did not lose anyone in free agenc;, they actually cut Anderson, Putzier, and Pryce. Even if the Broncos slip a little, they will still challenge for the division title and either of the wildcard spots. Denver does have some tough games against New England and Indianapolis, which could really hurt their chances at winning the division. Mike Shanahan might have let his ego get the best of him and it looks like this team might have sacrificed the present for the sake of the future on a few too many occasions.

Key Additions: WR Javon Walker (GB), QB Jay Cutler (R), TE Tony Scheffler (R), DE Elvis Dumervil (R), WR Brandon Marshall (R), DE Kenard Lang (CLE)
Key Losses: OC Gary Kubiak, RB Mike Anderson (BAL), DE Trevor Pryce (BAL), TE Jeb Putzier (HOU)

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Meeting on Missed Curfew and Fines

Tom Ashworth, Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Nate Burleson, D.D. Lewis, Leonard Weaver, Chris Gray, and Mack Strong all met with Mike Holmgren after practice on Tuesday. All of them except Chris Gray and Mack Strong missed curfew on Sunday night. The subject matter of the meeting was initially a mystery, but Jose Romero was on the same flight (which was delayed), and he surmised correctly the reason for the meeting. Strong and Gray are the union reps and they were at the meeting, presumably because the players that missed curfew could face fines.

Some people have expressed that it is unreasonable to fine these guys for something that was out of their control. The problem with that thinking is that it was not out of their hands. It is perfectly reasonable to fine the players. They were allowed to stay back and spend some extra time with their families. They booked a flight close enough to curfew that it became a problem when it got delayed. Those guys could have booked an earlier flight or just travelled back with the team. It was a risk to cut things so close. Its akin to a high school kid missing curfew because he ran into some unexpected traffic as he was coming home right at his curfew. Sorry, still grounded.

Holmgren cannot send the message that these guys can get away with that. Especially with a couple of superstars in the group. It sets a bad precedent and then people are coming up with valid excuses all the time. It is also about the attitude that the team needs to get re-focused which appears necessary after the game against Dallas.

John Clayton wrote an article on how the Seahawks are looking to avoid a Super Bowl letdown. Clayton discusses some of Holmgren's comments at camp..."Holmgren told the team that to return to the Super Bowl and win, even stars such as MVP Shaun Alexander, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones had to play better." The story also has some related video of a recent interview with Holmgren at camp.

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Webcasts from Camp

Listen to the Seahawks.com Webcasts from Training Camp hosted by Mike Kahn and Tony Ventrella.

• Tuesday Webcast with guests LB Niko Koutouvides and Gil Haskell.
• Wednesday Webcast with guests DE Darryl Tapp, Ruston Webster, and T Walter Jones.

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Dog Days of Training Camp

Now that the preseason games have begun, not much too exciting goes on during the week unless someone suffers an injury. The Seahawks are preparing for the upcoming game on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. That is where the battles for roster spots will heat up with guys getting a chance to show what they can do in game situations.

The most intriguing battle will be for the sixth receiver spot. It has been blown wide open and Ben Obomanu should no longer be considered the front-runner. He had a huge lead over anyone else coming into camp, but he has done nothing to maintain it. Obomanu might still be the slight favorite to get that spot, but Maurice Mann is making it hard for the coaches to cut him. Right now, Obomanu looks like an unpolished receiver that is headed to the practice squad.

Keenan Howry, C.J. Jones and Taco Wallace could also be in the mix, but it probably comes down to Mann and Obomanu. If Obomanu can get back on track and play like he did in the minicamps, he could re-emerge as the front-runner in a hurry, but Mann appears more comfortable. Mann ran with the practice squad last year and has also spent time with Peter Warrick in Cincinnati and played opposite Nate Burleson at Neveda in college. Mann is an absolute burner with a 40-time of 4.37. He has some experience returning kickoffs in college. If we see him getting some work there in the preseason, it means they are seriously considering handing him that final roster spot.

Lofa Tatupu has been sidelined with a minor groin injury, but it is nothing to worry about. CB Jimmy Williams finally returned after missing nearly two weeks with an ankle injury. It put him at a big disadvantage for a roster spot, and S Shaunard Harts looks like he would be the clear 8th defensive back if the team keeps that many.

The biggest news might be the return of three defensive linemen - DE Grant Wistrom, DT Rocky Bernard, and DE Joe Tafoya. Wistrom and Bernard need to be ready for the regular season, but they will ease the two starters back into things. Tafoya is on shakier ground because he will be pushed for the final roster spot at defensive end. If he had not been injured, he would have been the favorite for that spot, and fortunately for him, no one else has stepped up in his absence.

With the injury to DT Russell Davis, it is nice to get these guys back, but none of them figure to play against Indianapolis. It will not matter. If you saw the effort of the Colts' reserve offensive line against St. Louis, you should know that the Seahawks will be getting a lot of pressure on Jim Sorgi and Co., no matter who they have in there. The bigger concern is the play of the Seahawks' reserve offensive line with the mounting injuries and new faces.

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Team Preview: San Diego Chargers

I got busy with other stuff, but I am still planning on finishing off these team previews. I did finish the entire NFC awhile ago and I only have one more (Denver) to do for the Seahawks opponents in the AFC West. I will get to all of the entire AFC before the start of the season.

San Diego Chargers (9-7)
The Chargers are widely considered the best team in the NFL not to make the playoffs last year. They played a brutal schedule and things get a lot easier this year. However, the no longer have QB Drew Brees and will finally be throwing Philip Rivers into the fire. Other than letting Brees walk, the Chargers did not do much this past offseason. Then again, they didn't need to.

The team will definitely feel the loss of Drew Bress, he threw 51 touchdowns over the past two seasons - only Peyton Manning (77), Tom Brady (54), and Jake Delhomme (53) threw more. However, Philip Rivers might be alright. He started 51 games in college (second all-time to David Greene) and was the MVP of four bowl games. There was a reason he was taken fourth overall in the 2004 Draft. Rivers has also been able to learn from the bench for 2 years. He has the perfect weapons for a young quarterback to be successful in RB LaDanian Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates.

Marty Schottenheimer has quietly built a top 15 offensive line. C Nick Hardwick is the best player on an offensive line with no starters drafted in the first or second rounds. However, they play well as a unit and have delivered for LaDanian Tomlinson as well as for backups Jesse Chatman and Michael Turner, who have averaged 6 yards per carry over the last two years. Second-round pick OT Marcus McNeill (Auburn) adds some quality depth.

LaDanian Tomlinson is the most complete running back in the NFL. An average season over his five-year career is about 70 receptions to go along with 1,500 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. Rivers will rely on him as a safety valve in the passing game and his receptions could creep back up a little this year. He caught 179 balls in Drew Brees' first two years as a starter, but had only 104 catches over the last two seasons. The biggest concern will be overworking LaDanian Tomlinson who has handled the ball 2,044 times in his first five seasons (far and away the record). If he does get hurt Michael Turner is more than couple of being effective. Schottenheimer would be wise to use him some between the 20s to preserve Tomlinson.

Rivers can also rely on Antonio Gates if he gets in trouble. They do not need to be a vertical passing offense for Rivers to be successful. Keenan McCardell is also a very good veteran receiver. He is not the flashiest guy, but he is very dependable. McCardell become a starter in 1996. If you do not count the year (2004) he held out for most of the season before he was traded from Tampa Bay to San Diego, he has only missed 5 games in the other 9 years. Over those 9 years he has averaged over 1,000 yards per season with just under 80 catches and 6 touchdowns. Those are great numbers, especially considering the offenses he has played in. In fact, he has never finished with less than 60 catches or 5 touchdowns since his first year as a starter. The offense could use another receiver, but WR Eric Parker is decent.

The team could be good on offense, but they will be exceptional on defense. San Diego had the top run defense in the league in 2004, and only allowed 8 more yards than Pittsburgh last year. That is remarkable considering they faced Larry Johnson as well as Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell twice each. OLB Shawne Merrimen should be even better than he was in his rookie campaign and might be NFL Defensive Player of the Year before long. He could be headed for 15 sacks. LB Donnie Edwards created some fuss this offseason about his contract and has been sidelined with a back injury. The injury might have something to do with his contract demands not being met. There is some reason for concern, but if it continues, then LB Shaun Phillips and LB Matt Wilhelm are capable of playing well.

The concern for this defense is the secondary, but it is getting better. CB Quentin Jammer showed a lot of improvement last year and is finally starting to live up to his status as the #5 overall pick in 2002. He is not an elite corner yet, but he looks to be headed in that direction, which is part of the reason San Diego signed him to a 5-year extension (tacking on three years and about $30 million to his current deal). CB Antonion Cromartie was a risky pick because he lacks playing time in college and is coming off an ACL injury. However, he has the talent to become a pro bowler and could easily end up being the best corner in the 2006 draft class. He has looked great so far in camp. The Chargers also added FS Marlon McCree (Carolina). He is not exceptional, but he started 14 games for the Panthers last season as well as the three playoff games. He brings some toughness to the secondary; he led Carolina (the whole team, not just the DBs) with 88 tackles last year.

It is hard to be too confident about the Chargers with a first-time starter at quarterback, but Rivers has a lot of things going for him. The team could also use another solid player in the secondary and a quality receiver. However, if the team adds a player at each of those positions next year and Rivers matures as expected, then San Diego will be on every list of Super Bowl contenders. It will be interesting to see how everything comes together this year, but if Rivers and Cromartie play well, then this team should make the playoffs and might win the division. Their third place schedule gives them a big advantage over Denver and Kansas City. San Diego plays Buffalo and Tennessee, while Denver gets New England and Indianapolis and Kansas City draws Miami and Jacksonville.

Key Additions: CB Antonio Cromartie (R), FS Marlon McCree (CAR), OT Marcus McNeill (R)
Key Losses: QB Drew Brees (NO), WR Reche Caldwell (NE), OC Bob Hallen (CLE-ret)

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Koren Robinson Arrested Again

According to police, Koren Robinson was arrested for DWI last night. I feel bad for Koren Robinson personally, but I am glad he is no longer with the Seahawks. He faces up to a year long suspension from the NFL.

You had to see this coming with the way he handled reports that he was visiting a rehab center. He tried to deny it and was not facing up to his problem and was too worried about what other people were thinking rather than owning his problem. He was being held in jail over night, which probably means he was really drunk or there were some other aggravating circumstances. Police Sergeant Loren Jansen said multiple charges are pending against Robinson, so when everything comes out it isn't going to be pretty. Sherriff Dave Lange told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that along with drunken driving, Robinson is accused of fleeing police, reckless driving, speeding and driving without a valid license.

If you remember, some reports surfaced of him visiting a treatment center back in June, which he denied after his agent was partly responsible for leaking the story. He did finally address the situation, but his approach was disconcerting. At the time I said the following:

"The one thing that is a little concerning was his reluctance to address the issue. Part of recovery is owning his problem, and it is not necessarily a good sign that his biggest concern was not wanting "anybody to see those reports and get it twisted that I screwed up." Being in the public eye must be difficult, but it would be a good sign for his continued recovery if he was past worrying about what other people think as far as his substance abuse problem goes."

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East Coast Bias Revealed

Fans in Seattle constantly clamor about the lack of respect and east coast bias of the national media. It all makes more sense if you stop and think about what is going on.

First of all, the east coast teams get more coverage because more people care about those teams. It starts with the basic difference in population. For example, the NFC East is home four of the eight largest metro areas in the United States: New York (1st), Philadelphia (4th), Dallas (5th), and Washington D.C. (8th). By comparison, the NFC West does not have a metro area in the top ten: San Francisco (12th), Phoenix (14th), Seattle (15th), and St. Louis (18th). If you compare the combined populations of the metro areas, the NFC East is home to over 35 million people, while the NFC West fails to top 14 million.

It doesn't hurt that Dallas has been to eight Super Bowls (winning five), Washington has been to five (winning three), the New York Giants have been to three (winning two) and Philadelphia has been to two (zero wins), including a close loss following the 2004 season as well as three straight NFC Championship games prior to that. Given the large metro populations, the history of the teams and the national and regional fan-bases built on that success, the NFC East should get at least three times as much coverage as the NFC West.

The Seattle Seahawks earned some of the lack of respect given by the media as well. Last year, the Seahawks won their first playoff games in 20 years. San Francisco and St. Louis got a lot of attention by the national media when they were making multiple trips to the Super Bowl.

Carolina is not in a major metro area, but they have won six playoff games in the franchise's 11-year history, including three trips to the NFC Championship game and a close loss in the Super Bowl after the 2003 season. It also helps that the Panthers went into New York (the largest market) and handed an embarassing 23-0 loss to the Giants - the team that everyone in those large metro areas watched win the NFC East. De'Shaun Foster had 27 carries for 151 yards in that game, which is a big reason everyone is so high on him.

Will Seattle get more attention if they keep winning and going deep in the playoffs? Of course. It is already starting to happen, but fans cannot expect the team to ever get more coverage than the teams in the largest metro areas because less people care. It will take more than one successful season for writers to forget the 19 seasons that came before.

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Shaun Alexander vs. Clinton Portis

Clinton Portis belongs in Washington D.C. because he should be a politician. Somehow he has managed to divert all of the attention away from his own stupidity. He has been speaking out about how they need to shorten the preseason. That might be a valid point, but it has absolutely nothing to do with his injury.

Portis was trying to show off by levelling Keiwan Ratliff and he got hurt doing it. That is something stupid for a star running back to do in a meaningless game. Portis would have met the same fate if the preseason was only one game (it was only the eighth play of the game). If the preseason was shorter, he would just have less time to recover after a bonehead play that led to his injury.

Shaun Alexander gets criticized for being soft and not going all out in practice or the preseason. Thank you Shaun. Be soft, stay healthy, and keep up the recording setting touchdown pace in the games that count.

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Monday Camp Wrap - Injuries and Audio

WR Keenan Howry returned to the field after sitting out a week with a strained hamstring. DE Grant Wistrom, DE Joe Tafoya, and DT Rocky Bernard are all expected back at practice on Wednesday. The return of Bernard is the most important with the lack of bodies at DT with Russell Davis' injury. CB Kelly Herndon is currently sitting out with a strained quadriceps.


FSN Northwest Sports Report (Video)
Wounded Seahawks
"Get the latest injury reports from Seattle's training camp in Cheney, WA and hear from QB Matt Hasselbeck as he compares the first preseason game to last year's."

Mike Green is still playing with the first team, but Michael Boulware is getting closer to full speed. Green might beat out Boulware for the starting spot regardless - he is that good. SS Mike Brown of the Chicago Bears is out with an Achilles' tendon problem. They are probably wishing they still had Mike Green or at least got more than a 6th-rounder for him.

Listen to the Seahawks.com Monday Webcast from Training Camp hosted by Mike Kahn and Tony Ventrella with guests QB Matt Hasselbeck, G Rob Sims, Bill Laveroni, John Clayton/ESPN.

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Another Day at the Office

The Seahawks are back in Cheney and practicing again. Mike Holmgren and the coaching staff should be on them pretty hard after a sloppy performance in the first preseason game. OG Jason Murphy will be making his first appearance with the team since being acquired late last week. The reserve offensive line is an area the coaching staff will be paying extra attention to this week as they prepare to play in Indianapolis on Sunday.

The Seahawks have more talent on the interior of the defensive line than anyone in the league, but Marcus Tubbs and Rocky Bernard are still not practicing. Chuck Darby is coming off an injury and now Russell Davis is hurt. Fortunately Craig Terrill is on the roster and Chris Cooper played extremely well in the scrimmage and in the first preseason game. Cooper could stick as the fourth DE over Joe Tafoya, Kemp Rasmussen, and Robert Pollard. Cooper has been working at DT out of necessity, but he can play both positions and Rasmussen and Pollard have not been special so far. Tafoya has been out with a shoulder injury.

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Game Review: Seahawks vs. Cowboys

It is important not to read too much into a single preseason game, especially the first one. However, a few things jumped out during the game on Saturday night. The 2006 Preseason Stats and the GameCenter tell some of the story.

Seneca Wallace did not look good. He was not horrible, but he did not show anything to make the team feel more comfortable about the situation behind Matt Hasselbeck. Mike Holmgren might want to reconsider his stance on bringing in a veteran backup this late into camp. It was only one game, but Seneca Wallace has been getting a lot more action in camp and at some point he needs to step it up. He did suffer from some shoddy offensive line play. He lost 32 yards on four sacks - the number of sacks was not his fault, but amount the yards was.

David Greene was a pleasant surprise, although it appeared Ray Willis and Marquis Weeks were conspiring against him. Willis had a horrible game. He got beat badly to give up one of the sacks on Wallace and missed an assignment that got David Greene levelled when he was protecting the southpaw's blindside. Willis will never be a starting right tackle unless he can improve his footwork, let alone have any chance to ever play on the left side. Weeks had a bad fumble on a handoff exchange and lined up incorrectly a few times. He faces an uphill battle for a roster spot and if he continues to make plays like that, it will ensure he does not make the team.

Gibran Hamdan did not get into the game. Anyone that has been in denial that the third string spot is David Greene's to lose should start to come around. Holmgren's plan might have been to give Greene the action this game and Hamdan more time in the next game. However, Greene looked good and like a man in control of the offense. Hamdan will need to play extremely well and Greene will need to play pretty poorly if Hamdan is going to unseat him. Greene is the incumbent and if things are close, then he gets the job, period.

Ben Obomanu was nowhere to be found, but Maurice Mann looked excellent and C.J. Jones showed some flashes at receiver. It will be interesting to see if the team gives Mann a chance to return kickoffs. No one jumped out in that department, which is probably good news for Josh Scobey. The team might keep six running backs, which is not uncommon in the NFL.

Undrafted rookie free agent Pat Ross saw all the action at center after Tobeck left the game. It was a surprise, but does not necessarily mean the team is seriously thinking about keeping him on the final roster. Holmgren might have gone with Ross at center and Chris Spencer at right guard because he did not feel comfortable with any of the other options at right guard. That might change once Jason Murphy gets some more time with the team. Ross also has experience working with David Greene on quarterback-center exchanges in practice. Ross would be a nice player to stick on the practice squad for the future, but someone else will probably grab him if the Seahawks try that. Tom Coughlin loves fellow Boston College alums and the Giants would benefit from adding a young center.

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Cowboys Front Seven

The most interesting thing from the Dallas Cowboys today might be the play of their front seven. The Cowboys could put DeMarcus Ware, Bobby Carpenter, Akin Ayodele and Greg Ellis all on the field with Jason Ferguson, Chris Canty, and Marcus Spears up front.

Ayodele was a free agent acquisition from Jacksonville, Ellis is being asked to move from DE to LB, and last year was Ferguson's first with the team (from the Jets). Carpenter was the Cowboys first-round pick this year, and the other three are all 2005 picks.

That group is almost certain to stay in longer than our starting offensive line to get more work together and it could be a long day for Seneca Wallace with some uncertainty on the interior of our second-string offensive line.

For more information on the Cowboys, check out the 2006 Dallas Cowboys Preview.

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News of Blog Success...

This blog was started 70 days ago on a whim. Things have been going pretty well since then, and I have some success to report on.

First of all, writing here indirectly led me to an opportunity and I am now the editor of the Seattle and Tacoma City Guide at About.com (part of The New York Times Company). The site features information about all aspects of Seattle and Tacoma with lots of useful information for local residents. This is a paid position, and the more traffic my site receives, the better for me. The best way for you to support this blog is to visit that site as often as you can. It will continue to grow with new resources all the time, and I plan on building out some extensive areas surrounding the Seahawks and other Seattle sports. You can also let me know if there is anything you would like to see included on the site.

The blog itself has been discovered by editors at WriteOnSports.com and Pluck.com.

Write On Sports LLC is in the process of creating a forum for sportswriters (amateur and professional) to be able to write on sports and have their voice heard by a knowledgeable audience. The site should go live towards the end of the month. It's goal is to provide a professional well-organized website in which sportswriters are proud to be published and which fosters an interest in the sportswriters' other work. The site will also feature a searchable sports blog library. It will not be a straight listing of all the blogs that relate to each team, but rather a place where someone can go and find a well written blog that offers information to the knowledgeable reader. I was invited to have this site listed in the sportsblog library, so if someone searches for the Seahawks they will be able to find a link to this blog.

Pluck has just launched a project which involves a news wire service and syndication network for blogs called BlogBurst. The site is live and they're recruiting bloggers on an invite-only basis to join the system. BlogBurst is a news service bringing quality blogs onto highly-trafficked, high-brand mainstream publisher sites like the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle and San Antonio-Express News. I was also extended an invitation to join their network.

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog and has supported my efforts here.

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Game Preview: Seahawks vs. Cowboys

NFL Football returns to Qwest Field...kind of. Gregg Bell does a pretty good job of covering why this game isn't as compelling as it could have been. Drew Bledsoe and Terrell Owens probably won't play, but that doesn't matter so much because the starters only get a series or two.

The most intersting thing between the two teams will be if Drew Henson and Gibran Hamdan are playing at the end of the game. They were the top two passers in NFL Europe this season. Fans will be watching closely to see if David Greene or Gibran Hamdan is the third quarterback off the bench. Last year, David Greene attempted 15 passes in the preseason as a rookie. Once again, there will not be much action available after Matt Hasselbeck gets his tune-up work and Seneca Wallace continues to get comfortable to be a solid backup. For reference, you can check out the Seahawks 2005 Preseason Stats.

The fullback battle is also something to watch. It is not something that will show up in the statistics, but David Kirtman and Leonard Weaver will be showing what they can do as a lead blocker for Maurice Morris. Weaver is also going to be returning kickoffs. That will be a sight with a 6 foot, 250-pound fullback building up a head of steam as the coverage comes to him. He will be working alongside Maurice Mann in a special two returner formation. Each guy will be given a hash, and depending on where the kick goes, he will be the catch man and the call guy.

The loss of Floyd Womack late in the week makes the offensive line an area for some concern. Dallas runs the 3-4 and they have a lot of young, athletic linebackers and defensive ends. If they are working on blitz packages, the second-string line could have trouble up the middle with Rob Sims, Chris Spencer, and who knows who else filling the interior spots. Fortunately Seneca Wallace moves extremely well, and we might see him using his feet to make a lot plays on Saturday.

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Injury Update: Stevens, Tapp, Jennings

Jerramy Stevens made his debut at practice yesterday morning by participating in non-contact drills with pads. He ran pretty well for his first day back, and as expected, only participated in the morning practice session today. Darryl Tapp was back in action yesterday and today, so his hip must not be bothering him too much. Kelly Jennings was in pads, but limited for practice yesterday as well as this morning. Jennings took part when the team practiced in shorts and shells this afternoon, so things look fine with him as well.

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Quarterbacks, Near and Far

FSN caught up with Matt Hasselbeck at camp on the Northwest Sports Report (Video). He discusses high expectations for this season, goals for the game against Dallas, and pranks around camp between the veterans (because Holmgren does not allow rookie hazing).

Mike Holmgren made some interesting comments about position battles. He commented on the fullbacks and wide receivers, but said things were pretty set with the tight ends and quarterbacks. He went on to say that the team was not entirely sure about the third tight end. What does that mean for David Greene and Gibran Hamdan?

If he meant to imply that someone had the job locked up, then it would have to be Greene. Hamdan just has not had enough chances yet to take over, let alone lock up, the #3 job. Most likely he just meant that everything is set with those two battling for #3 in camp and the preseason. Hamdan and Pat Ross struggled with some center exchanges this afternoon, and Holmgren hates that stuff, but he made his comments before this took place.

Some minor news out of Tampa Bay - Bruce Gradkowski is running the second team offense, instead of Tim Rattay. The problem with Rattay's availability is that Jay Fiedler is still not back to 100%. Although Holmgren has said otherwise, the lack of anything special out of Greene or Hamdan could revive the possibility of bringing in a veteran (Rattay) once Fiedler gets healthy. Rattay knows the basics of the offense and it would mainly be a matter of terminology. He has always been someone that does not rely on practice to play well in game situations. Bringing in someone new this late would not be ideal, but Rattay could be a better option than Greene or Hamdan.

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Spencer Starting, Right Guard Undecided

Mike Holmgren named Chris Spencer as the starting left guard for the game against Dallas. When Robbie Tobeck leaves the game, Spencer will slide to his right and Rob Sims will come in at left guard. This is not much of surprise and is exactly what I said yesterday.

The lack of depth on the interior line is starting to show itself. Holmgren will not want to give too much work to Chris Gray or Tobeck during the preseason to preserve the aging veterans for when the games count. With Womack sidelined, that leaves Chris Spencer and Rob Sims as the two most reliable options on the interior. The right guard spot is open for someone to step in. That is when things get a little complicated. Ashworth is expected to play left tackle because Holmgren will also want to preserve Walter Jones. Ray Willis will come in for Sean Locklear at right tackle.

The team is currently focusing on Saturday. The starters will not play very long, but will look like this:
Jones-Spencer-Tobeck-Gray-Locklear

The second string will play the majority of the game and will look like this:
Ashworth-Sims-Spencer-OPEN-Willis

Holmgren & Co. are still figuring out what to do at right guard, but for the time being, that role will probably be filled by someone that is not likely to make the team. They have experimented with Henry-Sims-Spencer-Ashworth-Willis in practice, but that is probably not a game-scenario line with Ashworth at guard and Henry at tackle. It would make more sense to put them at their natural positions, which would look like this:
Ashworth-Sims-Spencer-Henry-Willis

The team was not using that combination in practice last week, but they did use the same combination with either Pat Ross or Jeff Bolton in place of Henry. It is unclear if either Ross or Bolton (both undrafted rookie free agents) are ready to protect the quarterbacks in preseason action. William Henry is the most likely candidate to get the bulk of the action at right guard in the game against Dallas.

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Cortez Kennedy to be Inducted into Ring of Honor

Cortez "Tez" Kennedy will be inducted into the Ring of Honor at some point during this season. The Seahawks are holding a press conference on Friday to make an official announcement. Kennedy is a potential Hall-of-Famer. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 despite playing on a 2-14 team. Kennedy went to 8 pro bowls for the Seahawks. Some people overlook his talent because he was double- and triple-teamed on every single play following the 1992 season in which he recorded 14 sacks.

Kennedy was a lifelong Seahawk and still holds the team record with 100 consecutive games started. He played in 167 games for the Seahawks with 668 tackles, 58 sacks, and 3 interceptions.

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Ham-strung Pork Chop

Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack is out at least a week with a first degree hamstring strain. It really seemed like only of a question of when, not if, Womack would fall victim to another injury. The Seahawks will almost certainly put Chris Spencer in at LG for the time being. It seems like the Tom Ashworth at guard experiment is over.

As long as Tobeck and Gray stay healthy we are in good shape. If something happens with either of them then I think Spencer slides to his right and Rob Sims comes in at LG. Ideally, Sims would have a year to learn from the sideline, but he may be forced into action as a rookie. Womack will be an unrestricted free agent after this year, and his health problems might make Seattle less inclined to re-sign him. That would put Seattle even more in the market for another interior lineman, either in the draft or via free agency.

Mike Holmgren really likes Pork Chop, but remember he drafted him. Tim Ruskell is the ultimate decision-maker, and he has no loyalty to Womack. Mike Holmgren might lobby for Womack next offseason, but Ruskell will probably go in a different direction if Womack is unable to be a regular starter this season.

Listen to the Seahawks.com Wednesday Webcast from Training Camp hosted by Mike Kahn and Tony Ventrella with guests D.J. Hackett, Rob Sims, Bob Casullo, and Marcus Trufant. Sims discusses the Womack injury. Casullo also says that Marquis Weeks and Leonard Weaver will return kickoff against Dallas, followed by C.J. Jones and Ben Obomanu.

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Midweek Rundown

Both Kelly Jennings (groin) and Darryl Tapp (hip) were injured in practice. They have been sitting out, but the injuries are not thought to be serious at this point in time. Jerramy Stevens is expected to return to the field today. He will probably only participate once a day at most for awhile after knee surgery in late April.

Ken Hamlin delivered his first big hit in practice the other day, levelling Leonard Weaver. It looks like the Hammer is back.

KC Joyner wrote a couple of articles for ESPN Insider that are accessible for free (without subscribing to the service), at least for now. One calls Matt Hasselbeck a poor decision-maker. The stats he uses are really more of an indication that Hasselbeck is a gunslinger that tries to force things at times. The other lauds Grant Wistrom as one of the best defensive lineman in the league, for his contribution on pursuit plays in addition to his ability to rush the passer.

Listen to the Seahawks.com Tuesday Webcast from Training Camp hosted by Mike Kahn and Tony Ventrella with guests WR Bobby Engram, DT Russell Davis, TE Mike Gomez, QB Gibran Hamdan.

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Alexander and Mitchell Show Strong Some Love

Shaun Alexander and Stump Mitchell showed Mack Strong some love in recent interviews for an article by Gregg Bell. It is a pretty good piece focusing on our unsung hero leading the way to all those rushing touchdowns.

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Updated Roster Predictions

Offense (23)
QB (2) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace
RB/FB (4) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver
WR (5) - Darrell Jackson, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Peter Warrick, DJ Hackett
TE (3) - Jerramy Stevens, Itula Mili, Will Heller
OT/OG (7) Walter Jones, Sean Locklear, Floyd Womack, Chris Gray, Tom Ashworth, Ray Willis, Rob Sims
C (2) - Robbie Tobeck, Chris Spencer

Defense (22)
DE (3) - Grant Wistrom, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp
DT (5) Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill
OLB (5) - Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, D.D. Lewis, Kevin Bentley, Isaiah Kacyvenski
ILB (2) - Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides
SS (2) - Michael Boulware, Mike Green (SS/FS)
FS (1) - Ken Hamlin
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon, Kelly Jennings, Jordan Babineaux

Special Teams (3)
K - Josh Brown
P - Ryan Plackemeier
LS - J.P. Darche

The above 48 players should all make the team. The team will keep 1 more QB, RB/FB, and DE for sure. The competition for those spots in current pecking order is:
QB - David Greene, Gibran Hamdan
RB/FB - David Kirtman, Marquis Weeks, Josh Scobey
DE - Kemp Rasmussen, Chris Cooper

That leaves 2 spots that are somewhat an open competition from guys at different positions. These spots will most likely be 1 more DB and WR, but it could also include another RB/FB or both spots could go to DBs.

SS Shaunard Harts, WR Ben Obomanu, and the running backs listed above are the front-runners. CB Jimmy Williams might also be in the mix as well as the rest of the young receivers, although injuries are leaving things very open for Obomanu if he can step up.

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Boating Under the Influence

Let's hope this isn't what the Seahawks are doing when training camp is on the shores of Lake Washington in a couple of years. I would hope the Seahawks are not out getting drunk, let alone boating under the influence during training camp. You guessed it, another Bengal has been arrested. This time it is starting left guard Eric Steinbach, who was a first-alternate to the pro bowl last season.

The Bengals have the second hardest schedule in the league this season and Carson Palmer is coming off a major knee injury. The team certainly does not need all of the offseason problems to make things harder for them to repeat the success they enjoyed last year.

The team also announced that fans can now call (513) 381-JERK to report bad behavior in the stands. They will police foul language as well as drunkenness. No word yet if they will have a 24-hour hotline to report the crimes and drunkenness of players around the city. Maybe fans could report crimes in action to the team and they could get there before the police.

The Bengals might want to think of setting a better example for the fans if they want to cut down on bad behavior, or maybe the young players will claim the fans have been a bad influence on them. It is easy to laugh at the ridiculous spectacle that the Bengals have become, but at some point you have to think about the example they are setting, especially for the kids in Cincinnati.

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Work for the Seahawks plus Monday Webcast

Listen to the Seahawks.com Monday Webcast from Training Camp hosted by Mike Kahn and Tony Ventrella with guests Seneca Wallace, Kelly Jennings, Gibran Hamdan, Jim Zorn.

The Seattle Seahawks are now hiring for part-time retail and warehouse positions, 30-40 hours per week. According the the team, they "are looking for motivated individuals who have strong organizational skills and are detailed oriented. Other requirements include the ability to multi-task in a high energy, fast paced environment, strong communication skills and excellent customer service skills. Must be available all shifts, including weekends, evenings, holidays and all home games."

You can apply in person at the Seahawks Pro Shop on Occidental Avenue on the west side of Qwest Field. Print and fill out a Seahawks application and bring it with you to the Pro Shop.
Employment Application & Authorization Form

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Seahawks News and Notes

In case you missed it over the weekend, Warren Moon's Hall of Fame induction speech:
Windows Video | Real Video.

Keenan Howry (hamstring) sat out the scrimmage as well as practice on Sunday. Taco Wallace also missed the Sunday afternoon practice with bruised ribs. Circumstances are begging Ben Obomanu to step up and grab that final receiver and kickoff returner spot, but he has not shown the flashes he did in minicamp. Maurice Mann has looked good catching the ball, including that diving TD grab in the scrimmage. C.J. Jones has also looked good both catching the ball and returning kicks. It will be interesting to see who steps things up in the preseason games.

Jordan Babineaux is back on the field putting the secondary at full force and Jerramy Stevens is expected to return on Wednesday.

Terrell Owens has said he will not play in the preseason opener against the Seahawks due to a sore hamstring (MRI was negative). Terry Glenn has been out with blisters on both feet, but is expected to return to practice tomorrow.

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Seahawks WR Situation

Everyone seems to think the Seahawks will only carry five receivers. That is not very common for an NFL team, at least not one that relies heavily on the pass. Given the injury problems with all of the top five receivers on the team, it would make a lot of sense to carry six guys, especially if Obomanu or Howry look good returning kickoffs. Obomanu looked good in the minicamps, but has not really carried that momentum into Training Camp. Holmgren seems especially high on Howry and he does have the advantage of being in the league a little longer.

The Oregonian spent most of their Seahawks notebook discussing Howry, a former Oregon Duck. Among other things mentioned, Howry set a Vikings rookie record for punt return yards in 2003. He is more likely to return kickoffs for Seattle than punts, but either way he has a lot more experience as a returner than Obomanu (who has none). Howry has emerged as a contender for the sixth receiver spot if the team goes with that many, although he did not play in the scrimmage. Obomanu and Howry, and even Taco Wallace will have plenty of chances to battle it out in the preseason for that final spot with Jackson and Hackett sidelined. Taco looked good during the scrimmage catching two touchdowns.

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Ashley Lelie Rumors

Denver is going to deal Ashley Lelie. He has basically made it impossible for them not to, but as Mike Shanahan said "no one is beating down the door to get him." Reporters are trying to figure out where he might end up, so anything that makes sense they will jump on. A story on Darrell Jackson not being back until the third preseason game hit the AP news wire, and it was not a coincidence that immediately after that we heard talk of Lelie coming to Seattle. The same thing happened when Thomas Jones reported late to minicamp in Chicago and Lelie for Jones rumors started.

Many times these rumors are just plausible situations, rather than anything substantive. It is basically like my discussion of Tim Rattay coming to the Seahawks, although that was based on some real events. Tim Rattay did give an interview saying the Seahawks wanted his phone number on draft day and Mike Kahn and others said his name had been thrown around by the Seahawks. With Lelie, any team with weak starting receivers or a potential injury problem to a starter are considered "in the running" for him.

As for my take on Lelie as a Seahawk, I think he would be a great fit with the team on the field. He is a good player and excels at getting deep, which opens things up underneath for everyone else. It would give the offense another dimension. Hackett provides some of this, but Lelie is much better even if he plays soft at times. Lelie is a great complimentary receiver - if he had gone to Carolina, I would have been very afraid of that offense because he could have stretched the field and opened up Steve Smith for those short and medium routes he turned into big gains last year.

However, Lelie is not happy with that role. He thinks he is a number one receiver, but he has not done enough on the field to justify that. I guess he thinks being drafted in the first round is all that it takes. He only had 42 catches for 770 yards with 1 TD last year. The only thing I hear about the Broncos right now is about Lelie and Shanahan is always answering questions about him. That would be Holmgren if he was in Seattle, and we do not need the distraction. Lelie also becomes a free agent next year, so anyone picking him up would need to address his contract immediately.

One thing I find oddly interesting is that Lelie and Javon Walker were working out together in Arizona even before Walker was acquired by Denver. Lelie and Walker were also drafted back-to-back in 2002 with the 19th and 20th picks. If I was Lelie, I would stick around in Denver one more year and fight for playing time by giving 100% effort all the time. Walker is coming back from surgery and Lelie knows the offense. Rod Smith will probably retire after this year, which would set up Denver with Lelie and his buddy Walker as the starting receivers for years to come with Jay Cutler as the quarterback of the future. He will not find a much better situation anywhere in the league, so we should expect to hear a lot of complaining from him wherever he ends up for years to come. Or maybe he will get traded and become the next Santana Moss, you never know.

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Scrimmage Video & Stats

Seahawks Scrimmage (Video)
"Seattle coach Mike Holmgren speaks on the state of the Seahawks after a rough scrimmage during training camp." The video shows some highlights including a nice catch by Maurice Mann as well as Peter Warrick and Taco Wallace touchdowns. The stats from the scrimmage do not mean much, but the team did make them available.

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Hutchinson Questions Seahawks Brass

Steve Hutchinson questions the Seahawks about the management decisions surrounding his contract situation. Hutchinson said of the situation (as quoted by John Czarnecki), "I'll always keep my friendships with a lot of guys there, but I could never understand what their management was thinking. They told me after the 2004 season that they planned to get working on my contract and then never contacted Tom Condon until last summer. We told them then that I didn’t want to deal with any contract stuff during the season. It never got done, then, either."

He claims that he would have most likely stayed a Seahawk if the money was the same and thinks competition between Mike Reinfeldt (Seahawks Vice President of Football Administration) and Tom Condon (his agent) led to the eventually outcome. The two used to play against each other "in the old days" according to Hutchinson. His comments do not make a whole lot of sense, as Seattle was willing to match the relevant terms of the Vikings offer.

What would be a more likely explanation is that Hutchinson and Condon were unhappy with the Seahawks previous offers and used the poison pill approach to assure his exit from Seattle. The Seahawks appeared willing to match whatever Hutchinson would fetch from any other team, but that was not enough for him. Hutchinson was complicit in constructing a contract that made it impossible for Seattle to keep him. He has denied being familiar with the terms, which is a bunch of crap. If he signed a 7-year contract worth $49 million and did not know what he was signing, then that is even worse than if he did know about the poison pill terms.

AP Sports Writer Gregg Bell has been putting out a lot of good stuff from camp. He wrote an article on the intra-squad scrimmage providing some detail and quotes from players and coaches.

Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports also wrote a piece on Warren Moon's induction into the Hall of Fame today as the first black quarterback.

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Tickets to Seahawks-Cowboys Game

I have 3 tickets for sale for the Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys preseason game (Saturday, August 12th at 7pm). I would like to go myself, but I am going to a pig roast in the afternoon and then a birthday party in the evening. I will sell them to whoever makes the best offer by the end of the day Monday. The tickets still available from Ticketmaster in this section would cost you $134.50, but are 27 rows further up. Check out the details on the tickets (including pictures) and send an e-mail to hawkstickets@gmail.com with an offer if you are interested.

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What to Watch in the Scrimmage

The Seahawks play their annual intra-squad scrimmage today (2pm) at Woodard Field. The game is fun for the fans as part of the Seahawks Extravaganza, but there are a few key things to watch.

1) David Greene vs. Gibran Hamdan
Hamdan was given extra reps in practice on Friday and looked good. He threw a couple of touchdowns to the tight ends at the bottom of the depth chart. The scrimmage is his chance to show what he's got in a game situation. The two guys will continue to battle it out through camp and the preseason, but whoever shows more during the scrimmage will likely come in first in the preseason games and have a considerable advantage from here on out. Despite his shaky performance to this point, it is still incumbent David Greene's job to lose.

2) Ken Hamlin
This will be the biggest test for Ken Hamlin. He has been doing some hitting so far in camp, but his play during the scrimmage will show if he is going to be back to the same form that earned him the moniker The Hammer. They have not been tackling until now, so this is Hamlin's chance to put all of the chatter to rest. The biggest concern might be that he does not injur one of the receivers with a big hit.

3) Fullbacks
The scrimmage gives David Kirtman a chance to showcase his skills and make a case that he should be included on the team. Leonard Weaver also gets to show whether or not he has improved his blocking as well as another chance to impress coaches with his ability to run the ball. Josh Scobey has been ill, so this is a golden opportunity for the two reserve fullbacks to show that they both deserve to make the team.

4) Kickoff Returns
Keep a close eye on who the coaching staff has returning kickoffs. In practice, the guys usually rotate fielding kicks and the order is not so important. They will be showing their hand a little bit by who they choose to get the action in the scrimmage. The results each player delivers during the scrimmage will also set up who might get more chances in the preseason and have an inside track on the job.

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