Final Roster Breakdown

Update: Marcus Tubbs is out for the year with a torn ACL per Clare Farnsworth.

Andy Rogers/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It is a little hard to make sense of the roster given the untimely injury to Marcus Tubbs, as well as a few other injuries. With Tubbs out for the year, it frees up a roster spot for Courtney Taylor, C.J. Wallace, or Marquis Weeks. My best guess is that spot goes to Courtney Taylor, but that isn't certain by any means.

The other players with the greatest uncertainty are Josh Parry, Will Herring, and Michael Boulware. Parry could lose his spot to either David Kirtman or Marquis Weeks. I am sticking with Parry because I believe his contributions on specials teams are more valuable than what Weeks brings to the offense. I give him the slight edge on Kirtman because of his ability at fullback and his experience, plus Kirtman can be put on the practice squad.

Will Herring is the linebacker most in danger of losing his roster spot. If he does, then he could land on the practice squad. If the team does go with only 6 LBs with Herring and Jensen both on the practice squad, then that extra spot goes to Courtney Taylor, C.J. Wallace, or Marquis Weeks. Combined with the injury to Tubbs, that means two of those players would make the team. I'll guess Taylor and Wallace in that scenario.

It is hard to imagine that Michael Boulware doesn't have a spot on the roster. It is possible that C.J. Wallace has earned that spot. The injury to Boulware makes it even more complicated to sort out. More likely would be that Wallace gets a spot because of the injury to Tubbs and/or at the expense of Will Herring.

So, it really comes down to the 53 players listed below with the chance that C.J. Wallace or Marquis Weeks might make the roster, and Will Herring, Josh Parry, or Michael Boulware might not. David Kirtman is the other player in consideration, but only for Josh Parry's spot. And I expect David Greene to be replaced as soon they can acquire someone better.

Offense (26)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
HB/FB (5) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, Josh Parry
WR (6) - Deion Branch, DJ Hackett, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor
TE (3) - Marcus Pollard, Will Heller, Bennie Joppru
OL (9) - Walter Jones, Sean Locklear, Chris Spencer, Rob Sims, Chris Gray, Ray Willis, Tom Ashworth, Mansfield Wrotto, Floyd Womack
=> Read more!:

Defense (24)
DE (4) - Patrick Kerney, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins
DT (5) - Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Brandon Mebane, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill
OLB (5) - Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, Kevin Bentley, Lance Laury, Will Herring
MLB (2) - Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides
S (4) - Deon Grant, Brian Russell, Mike Green, Michael Boulware
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux

Special Teams (3)
K - Josh Brown
P - Ryan Plackemeier
LS - Derek Rackley

Given that roster, here is a guess at the practice squad. Obviously a space opens up if C.J. Wallace or David Kirtman get elevated to the active roster at the cost of a non-practice squad eligible player. I am assuming the injury to Pat Ross will land him on IR, or at least cost him his practice squad spot for the time being.

Practice Squad:
S C.J. Wallace, LB Cameron Jensen, FB David Kirtman, TE Joe Newton, OG Steve Vallos, DE Nu'u Tafisi, CB Kevin Hobbs, WR Logan Payne

The following players are the other legitimate options for the practice squad:
WR Joe Fernandez, WR Jordan Kent, OT Kyle Williams (Fernandez or Kent would probably only make in place of, rather than in addition to Logan Payne)

Just Missed (not PS-eligble):
RB Marquis Weeks, CB Pete Hunter

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Raiders vs. Seahawks redux

This game was kind of a mess with a hodge-podge of backups on the field all game, and a few unsettling injuries. It looks like Marcus Tubbs and Pat Ross suffered the only serious injuries. Josh Wilson and Chris Spencer should be fine for the opener.

AP Photo/John Froschauer

In addition to the items below, the outstanding play of C.J. Wallace obviously stood out. It is hard to know if he did enough to bump Michael Boulware from the roster, especially with Boulware sitting out with a strained hamstring. Probably not, but maybe. Wallace made a lot of great plays. He was also responsible for the back-to-back receptions that led to Oakland's only offensive touchdown. Regardless, it is going to be hard to cut C.J. Wallace. He definitely has a spot on at least the practice squad, and he will make the team if they can figure out a way to work the numbers.

(This is a follow-up to What to Watch For: Raiders vs. Seahawks)
1) Seneca Wallace

AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey

Seneca Wallace played almost the entire game, and he struggled again. For those keeping score, Wallace has played a little under six full halves of football this preseason and has six turnovers. Not good. It capped a mediocre preseason for Wallace: 40 of 73 (54.8%) for 543 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions (75.3 rating), and 3 lost fumbles. He has also been sacked 5 times. Some of Wallace's struggles can be explained away by throwing to young receivers and playing behind some suspect play on the offensive line. However, it is those young receivers he has looked best throwing to in the second half of the San Diego and Minnesota games.

2) Linebackers
Niko Koutouvides assured everyone that his place on the Seahawks roster is completely secure. Cameron Jensen also had a nice showing, and that makes him a lock for the practice squad. The strong showing for Jensen could be bad news for Will Herring. It could allow the Seahawks to put Will Herring and Cameron Jensen on the practice squad, and only keep 6 linebackers on the active roster, and not worry too much if another team picks up Herring. Herring's contributions on special teams can't be ignored, which probably still earn him a roster spot.

3) Craig Terrill and Russell Davis
Craig Terrill made a nice stop on 4th-and-1 early in the game. Russell Davis pressured the quarterback a few times and played a big role in stuffing the run. He has had an excellent preseason. Both players should make the team, even if Marcus Tubbs isn't placed on IR. The assumption is that Tubbs will miss the season, but if he doesn't and is going to miss a month or so, then the Seahawks will carry 6 DTs for the foreseeable future.

4) Josh Wilson and the 5th CB
Josh Wilson didn't have a great night. He was flattened by two stiff-arms trying to make open-field tackles. His coverage was only mediocre. It looks like he will have to improve to get much playing time. Jordan Babineaux is expected to be ready for the season and play in the nickel. Wilson also injured his hip, but should be available for the season opener. Pete Hunter looks like the 5th best CB. He made some nice plays. Unfortunately, there isn't room for 5 CBs on the roster and he isn't eligible for the practice squad. He will be the first person the Seahawks call if they need an extra CB at some point during the season, assuming he doesn’t sign with another team.
=> Read more!:
5) Tight Ends
Ben Joppru didn't play, but I assume that means he has the #3 spot locked up, and they were just resting his hip. Leonard Stephens may have played himself right off the practice squad with 3 penalties. Joe Newton made some nice blocks and a nice catch. It was probably enough to earn him a spot on the practice squad ahead of Stephens.

6) Wide Receiver Battles
Nate Burleson will likely have his name announced with the starting lineup on September 9th. D.J. Hackett will still get on the field, and whoever is making more plays will get more playing time. That is how it will be all season, but you can’t ignore how great Burleson has looked.

Courtney Taylor showed a little of why I have been so high on him despite his injury. It would be hard to give him a roster spot, but Mike Holmgren would probably prefer to keep six receivers. The minor injury to Ben Obomanu and the assumed roster spot opened up by the injury to Marcus Tubbs might make that a possibility.

Joe Fernandez had a great game. He may have moved ahead of Logan Payne on the depth chart. He did only have one catch though, and was returning kicks because Obomanu was injured. It still comes down to Payne, Fernandez, and Jordan Kent for the final spot. Payne has been the most consistent throughout camp. Fernandez showed a lot of heart last night, and that he could contribute as a return man. Kent is tall and fast, but can't catch, and makes too many mistakes. There might not be a space for any of them, even on the practice squad. The injury to Pat Ross might have cleared a spot.

7) Fullbacks

AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey

Leonard Weaver locked up his spot as the backup fullback and #3 primary ball carrier. It is unclear what that means for Marquis Weeks, Josh Parry, and David Kirtman. Josh Parry and David Kirtman rarely lines up on offense, but their primary role with the team is going to be on special teams. They both play well there. Parry can also play fullback just fine and the team knows that. He probably gets the nod over Kirtman, especially because they can stash Kirtman on the practice squad again. Weeks has been a solid runner again this preseason, but he doesn't do much on special teams. You can't give a roster spot to a guy if he is only going to be the fourth option as a primary ball carrier.

8) Derek Devine and David Greene
I had a feeling the Seahawks weren't seriously considering Derek Devine as the #3 QB, and that should now be obvious to everyone. It doesn't look like they are even considering a scenario where they keep Devine on the practice squad and only go with two on the active roster. For better or worse, David Greene is the third string QB until the Seahawks can acquire someone better.

They have tried with Kelly Holcomb and Mark Brunell. It seems likely that Greene will make the final cut, but then get released in favor of someone cut from another team if no trade happens today. It would risky to cut Greene before they were assured of getting someone else. They could dangle Greene on waivers, assuming nobody else wants him, and then scoop him back up if nothing better opens up. That might be too risky.

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What to Watch For: Raiders vs. Seahawks

Current versions of the easy-to-print Seahawks Numerical Roster (split into offense and defense) and the full Seahawks 35-Category Roster (now including practice squad eligibility) are available, and include the latest roster moves and current injuries.


1) Seneca Wallace

Dan DeLong/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Seneca Wallace (15) has been getting a lot of reps this week in practice, so we should expect to see a large dose of him on Thursday night. Wallace has had an up-and-down preseason. In his two appearances in the first half he is a combined 8 of 20 (40%) for 140 yards with 1 interception, and no touchdowns. That gives him a passer rating of 44.8, which doesn’t even take into account his 3 lost fumbles. In his two second half appearances, he is a combined 20 of 27 (74%) for 222 yards with 2 touchdowns and no turnovers (123.8 passer rating). Wallace will likely play most of the first half against the Raiders, and it gives him a chance to put together a good half against the starters on a pretty solid defense.

2) Linebackers
Julian Peterson (sore knee) will not play, and it is likely Leroy Hill (hamstring) will sit out or only play sparingly. That means a lot of time for the other linebackers. There has been a lot of fuss about Mike Holmgren saying he envisions the team keeping 6 linebackers, but I still don't believe him. If that does turn out to be the case, it will be Lance Laury (50), Will Herring (54), or Niko Koutouvides (53) that gets left off the Seahawks opening day roster.

3) Craig Terrill and Russell Davis
I would believe Mike Holmgren if he said the team was only going to keep 5 DTs. That is going to be a difficult decision, and it comes down to Craig Terrill (93) and Russell Davis (95) for the final spot. The team appears fairly certain to keep only 4 DEs, so 6 DTs is a possibility. That is basically what they did last year when they kept Chris Cooper as the 10th defensive lineman. Although he is listed as a DE, he lined up at DT almost exclusively during training camp. But Cooper only stayed on the roster until September 23rd. The uncertain status of Marcus Tubbs might cause the team to go with 6 DTs for at least the first part of the year, and longer if injuries provide an open roster spot. Marcus Tubbs, Chuck Darby and Rocky Bernard will not see much action, giving these guys a chance to battle it out.

4) Josh Wilson and the 5th CB
Josh Wilson (26) could take another big step forward on Thursday night. He will start opposite Marcus Trufant (23) with Kelly Jennings (bruised leg out. Chances are, Wilson will start at some point during this season, so this is a great chance for him to show he is up to the task.

Kelly Jennings and Jordan Babineaux should be ready when the regular season begins. That would mean the team does not need to carry a 5th CB. It still isn’t a bad idea to watch how the team uses Kevin Hobbs (32), Pete Hunter (29), and DeJuan Groce (35). Hobbs has typically been the last one off the bench in that group, but he might have earned more playing time with solid play lately (in practice and against the Vikings). If the team is certain about the readiness of Jennings and Babineaux, then Hobbs could get an extended look because he figures to be competing for a spot on the practice squad.
=> Read more!:

5) Tight Ends
Will Heller (85) will be back in action for the first time in quite awhile. Ben Joppru (47) has the #3 job locked up as long as he doesn’t get injured. Leonard Stephens (89) could’ve had something to say about that, but he is just back from his ankle injury and missed too much time. That would have been an interesting battle to watch. However, this is the first time they will both be on the field, since halfway through the intrasquad scrimmage on August 4th. Both looked good when the other was out.

Stephens should have another year of practice squad eligibility, which would give the team a solid backup plan if Joppru’s penchant for injuries returns. Joe Newton (46) has a chance to make the practice squad if Stephens is somehow ineligible, or Newton shows enough that the team thinks going with a younger player that can spend two or three years on the practice squad is a better idea. The amount of playing time (and their performance while in there) of Newton and Stephens should offer some insight into that.

6) Wide Receiver Battles
Nate Burleson (81) and D.J. Hackett (18) are still battling for the starting split end spot. It is somewhat irrelevant because they will both play a lot, and whoever is making more plays will get more playing time. Hackett shined earlier in training camp, Burleson has been great as of late. They have both been solid all camp.

The real battle is for 6th and 7th on the depth chart. The Seahawks will probably keep a total of 7 receivers between the active roster and the practice squad. Courtney Taylor (86) and Logan Payne (19) look like the two guys most likely to get those last two spots. Joe Fernandez (17) has also played well at times, but hasn't looked as sharp lately, and he is only 5'10", 165 lbs. Jordan Kent (82) is the worst receiver left on the roster, but he still has a shot at a practice squad spot. Kent makes sense as a long-term project, but more importantly, he gives the defense someone big and fast to practice against. That function might make him more appealing than Logan Payne or Joe Fernandez. It is unlikely Ben Obomanu will play, so all of these guys should get more playing time.

7) Fullbacks
Leonard Weaver (43) has struggled with a few things lately, but his spot on the team should be safe. He just might not have as expansive of a role as the team once envisioned. The more interesting battle could be between Josh Parry (49) and David Kirtman (34). Weaver has been getting so many reps that we really haven’t seen much of either of them on offense. They both play on all of the special teams units, and Kirtman has been playing well as of late. Marquis Weeks (30) could also earn a spot as the 3rd HB. That seems unlikely because he is not as good on special teams as Parry or Kirtman, he isn't a blocking dynamo, and he would be the fourth option as a ball carrier behind Leonard Weaver.

8) Derek Devine and David Greene
If the Seahawks are seriously considering Derek Devine for a spot on the roster, then he should play a full half. Devine (5) has to show that he not only has the physical tools, but that he can lead a team. It is pretty tough to do that in one quarter. David Greene (11) might start the second half. If that is the case, then we might not see Devine at all until the very end of the game for a pass or two and a couple of handoffs. It really depends on how Greene plays. I am certain the Seahawks would like to have someone more reliable than David Greene as the #3 QB. I am not certain if they think Derek Devine has any chance to be that guy, this year.

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Switching Gears

August will be over by the end of the week. There are 11 days between today and Sunday, September 9th, when the Seahawks host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start the regular season. And the NFL season kicks off a week from Thursday.

What does that mean? It means it is time to switch gears from roster minutia to things that matter a lot more than if someone gets cut, makes the practice squad, or winds up as the 9th DB on the active roster. That kind of speculation keeps Seahawks fans occupied leading up to the season, but the real thing is almost here and the players that are actually going to play are more important. Mike Holmgren and the coaching staff always think about those things more than anything else.

Can Matt Hasselbeck bounce back to 2005 form and avoid bad decisions? Are his shoulder and knee ready to take the beating of an entire regular season? These questions are a lot more important than whether David Greene or Derek Devine will be the emergency quarterback.

I'll provide a preview of the Seahawks-Raiders similar to the previews for the rest of the preseason games, as well as some post game comments on Friday. I will also take one last stab at predicting the 53-man roster on Friday night. The game might offer some more clues or even complicate things. It got murky last year when Leonard Weaver and Mike Green were injured right before the final cutdown.

After that, I'll turn my attention to what the team needs to do to be successful this season, and more immediately, what they need to do to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Updated Rosters

Current versions of the easy-to-print Seahawks Numerical Roster and the full Seahawks 35-Category Roster are available, and include the latest roster moves and current injuries.

The numerical roster is now split into offense on one side with defense and special teams on the other.

The 35-category roster now includes the additional category of practice squad eligibility. Ben Joppru is listed as being eligible. It is unclear if Joppru actually meets the criteria of "free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s)." He has never appeared on the Active List for more than nine games, but he may not be considered a free agent because he was on the Seahawks roster for 5 games last year (which constitutes a credited season, but not an accrued season).

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C.J. Wallace

It was initially reported here, and elsewhere, that C.J. Wallace was one of the 12 players released. That is not the case. The 12th player released was QB Erik Meyer. The mix-up appears to be that C.J. Wallace was told that he wasn't likely to make the 53-man roster, but was one of the players they were considering for the practice squad. I am not sure if I should believe that explanation (as I was told it is partially conjecture), but at least it makes sense why several people thought he was released, and it also matches up with why it was reported that C.J. Wallace appeared solemn yesterday. He might also just be dealing with a personal issue and it gave people the wrong impression.

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Best Guess Roster

Given the developments in the gave against the Minnesota Vikings, and the latest round of cuts, below is an updated best guess on the final 53-man roster. The only thing that changed from the last installment was some minor shuffling on the potential practice squad guys.

Offense (25)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
HB/FB (5) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, Josh Parry
WR (5) - Deion Branch, DJ Hackett, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Ben Obomanu
TE (3) - Marcus Pollard, Will Heller, Bennie Joppru
OL (9) - Walter Jones, Sean Locklear, Chris Spencer, Rob Sims, Chris Gray, Ray Willis, Tom Ashworth, Mansfield Wrotto, Floyd Womack

Defense (25)
DE (4) - Patrick Kerney, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins
DT (6) - Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Brandon Mebane, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill
OLB (5) - Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, Kevin Bentley, Lance Laury, Will Herring
ILB (2) - Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides
S (4) - Deon Grant, Brian Russell, Michael Boulware, Mike Green
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux

Special Teams (3)
K - Josh Brown
P - Ryan Plackemeier
LS - Derek Rackley

Practice Squad:
FB David Kirtman, WR Courtney Taylor, TE Leonard Stephens, C Pat Ross, OG Steve Vallos, DE Nu'u Tafisi, CB Kevin Hobbs, S C.J. Wallace

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First Cuts

These are the 11 players that were not at practice on Monday and are assumed to be cut:

RB A.J. Harris
WR Chris Jones
WR Robert Ortiz
TE Andy Stokes
C Austin King
OG Jason Murphy
OT Jonathan Alston

LB Marcus Rucker
CB Dennis Davis
S Patrick Ghee

K Kurt Smith

No real surprises there. Maybe Chris Jones, only because he played so early in the last game, but maybe they are just giving him a shot at making another roster. I kind of forgot about Jonathan Alston. He had been marginalized in practice and the games since Floyd Womack was back and playing LT, and Ray Willis moved back to tackle with Walter Jones out.

I am also a little surprised that the team is still carrying 8 DTs at this point. At this time last year they were already down to the 5 that made the final roster, including Marcus Tubbs and Russell Davis who were both not at 100%. DE Chris Cooper was lining up at DT in practice, but including him, that only made 6 DTs at this time last year.

It remains to be seen if Harris getting cut provides us any information. I said, "If the team does cut Harris on Tuesday, then it might be a signal that they have decided to go with Marquis Weeks over Josh Parry. Or it could just mean they don't think Harris is even good enough for the practice squad." I am currently leaning toward the latter. I would be less surprised to see David Kirtman beat out Parry. He has been picking it up on special teams recently.

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Second-ary Guessing

The Seahawks secondary is understandably a big point of interest after some suspect play last year. The injuries to Jordan Babineaux, and potentially Kelly Jennings, only intensify the intrigue. The severity of those injuries will have a lot to do with the decisions the Seahawks make on September 1st.

If everyone was healthy, then the situation is pretty straightforward. The team would keep these four cornerbacks and four safeties:

CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux
S (4) - Deon Grant, Brian Russell, Mike Green, Michael Boulware

There has been some speculation that Michael Boulware could be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot to C.J. Wallace. Don’t bet on it. Boulware didn’t look that great against Minnesota, but he did come in and play as the nickel LB with the starters. Wallace is an alright player, and better than alright on special teams, but he isn’t so valuable that he couldn’t be stashed on the practice squad.

If it looks like Jennings and Babineaux won’t be ready for the opener, then the team will be forced to keep 5 CBs, at least until one of them comes back. However, that 5th guy might not play very much, except on special teams. In that case, it could be Wallace that makes the team over a 5th CB, but I doubt it.

Let’s take a look at what the starting secondary might look like without Jennings and Babineaux:
CB1 Marcus Trufant, CB2 Josh Wilson, FS Brian Russell, and SS Deon Grant

No big surprises there. Now let’s take a look at what the nickel package might look like without Jennings and Babineaux:
CB1 Marcus Trufant, CB2 Josh Wilson, CB3 Deon Grant, FS Brian Russell, and SS Mike Green, NLB Michael Boulware.

Given the other options at corner (Pete Hunter, Kevin Hobbs, and DeJuan Groce), that seems like a better option for the Seahawks. Deon Grant is accustomed to lining up over the slot receiver in man-to-man coverage. He did that quite a bit in Jacksonville. Mike Green is also pretty solid against the pass. He may have had some trouble in coverage as a FS, but he would be a good coverage player for a SS. The same goes for Michael Boulware as the nickel linebacker. That is a pretty solid group of six defensive backs on the field in the nickel package.

I would feel differently if I thought more of Hunter, Hobbs, or Groce. Hunter and Groce appear capable of playing consistently mediocre. That is what you expect from an emergency fill-in. My money would be on Hunter winning that role if it looks like they need a 5th CB for a few weeks, but it could easily be Groce instead. I like Hobbs the best of the three, but he would likely make some really good plays and completely blow others. The consistency just isn’t there yet.

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Chopping Block

The Seahawks are at the current roster limit of 80 players and are carrying an additional 7 exempt players for a total of 87 guys. They need to cut 12 of them to get down to 75 on Tuesday (the exempt players start to count). The cuts themselves are fairly unimportant. Do you really care if they cut Cameron Jensen or Marcus Rucker on Tuesday or Saturday?

However, this first round of cuts could reveal some of what the team is thinking about the guys that remain on the roster. The team usually cuts one or two “unexpected” players to give them a chance to catch on with another team, and that might tell us that a bubble player at the same position has won a spot on the roster. It also gives us an idea of who we are likely to see on the practice squad.

The Seahawks also needs to field a team to play the Raiders on Thursday, while resting anyone important, so that figures into these cuts as well. Things haven't changed all that much in the past two weeks from my preliminary guess on first cuts:

QB Erik Meyer, RB A.J. Harris, WR Robert Ortiz, TE Ben Joppru, C Austin King, OG Jason Murphy, DT Eric Taylor, CB Dennis Davis, CB Wally Dada, K Kurt Smith, and P Kyle Stringer. And another WR (Chris Jones, Jordan Kent, or Joe Fernandez).

That guess was made when P Kyle Stringer was still on the team, and I had incorrectly assumed TE Ben Joppru would miss the rest of the preseason with his “serious” injuries. Other than that, there aren’t a lot of changes.
=> Read more!:

QB Erik Meyer, WR Robert Ortiz, C Austin King, OG Jason Murphy, DT Eric Taylor, CB Dennis Davis, CB Wally Dada, K Kurt Smith all still make my list. As does either WR Jordan Kent or WR Joe Fernandez, or maybe even both. I’ll add TE Andy Stokes, who essentially replaces P Kyle Stringer on the list. That gives me 10-11 players. The other players in danger would be S Patrick Ghee, LB Marcus Rucker, LB Cameron Jensen, and RB A.J. Harris (also on my preliminary list). DT Marcus Green had an undisclosed injury last week, and was then passed over in terms of playing time by DT Eric Taylor, so he might be on the chopping block as well.

I assume they will keep at least one of the two linebackers (Rucker and Jensen) just to have bodies to play on Thursday. It is hard to say which one. Jensen has been ahead on the depth chart all camp, but Rucker played on Saturday. Maybe that was his one chance, but he seemed to play alright and was part of that goal line stand. He might have won the opportunity to play against Oakland, or maybe even a spot on the practice squad.

On the other hand, although I am sure Mike Holmgren didn’t have anyone specific in mind, he could have easily been talking about Rucker when he said, “We’ll have some tough decisions to make now starting this evening, because we have to release some fellows, and then we have to release some more next week. If that was their last play in a Seattle uniform, they can feel pretty good about it, because it was a good goal line stand.”

An idea that occurred to me just recently is that the team may elect to keep A.J. Harris on the practice squad. I don't really have an impression on him one way or another, but I still think the Seahawks are going to go with:

Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, and Josh Parry

Marquis Weeks is not practice squad eligible, and they would probably like to have a third true HB on the practice squad. The only guy that could be is A.J. Harris. If the team does cut Harris on Tuesday, then it might be a signal that they have decided to go with Marquis Weeks over Josh Parry. Or it could just mean they don't think Harris is even good enough for the practice squad.

If that is the case and the Seahawks not keep Weeks on the active roster, then Leonard Weaver would be the only other option at HB if Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris were both injured. Weeks might also be available as a street free agent. He was on the active roster for just enough games last year that no other team can sign him to their practice squad either.

If I had to make a list of the guys most certain to be cut, it would be these nine:
QB Erik Meyer
WR Joe Fernandez
WR Robert Ortiz
TE Andy Stokes
C Austin King
OG Jason Murphy
CB Dennis Davis
CB Wally Dada
K Kurt Smith

The other three should come from:
RB A.J. Harris
RB Marquis Weeks
WR Jordan Kent
LB Marcus Rucker
LB Cameron Jensen
DE Brandon Green
DT Eric Taylor
DT Marcus Green
S Patrick Ghee

And I think it is quite likely that two of them will be a LB and a DT, assuming no surprises. I only list Marcus Green because of his apparent injury problems (which is the same reason why Eric Taylor doesn't show up with the first nine). And Weeks or Brandon Green could be released to give them time to catch on with another team.

Patrick Ghee seems like an alright player, but I think the team has enough safeties to play on Thursday without him. If they keep a safety on the practice squad, then it would probably be C.J. Wallace. Jordan Kent is on this list because he just isn't very good.

Note: QB Travis Lulay and DT Lynn McGruder could technically be included because they are on the exempt/NFLEL injured list. Neither have been in camp. I assume the team will cut both of those players as well. If they are still injured, then they will need to reach an injury settlement if that haven't done so already. Either way, these players will not count toward the 75 roster spots allowed.

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Vikings vs. Seahawks redux

Matt Hasselbeck and the rest of the first team offense played well, especially Marcus Pollard. Shaun Alexander ran hard a few times and looks ready to go. The offensive line did a good job of keeping pressure off of Hasselbeck. Seneca Wallace also bounced back with a nice game, including a strike to emerging talent Ben Obomanu.

Baraka Atkins is where the team hoped he would be at this point in time when they drafted him. It didn’t look like he was progressing that fast during the first half of camp, but he kicked it up a notch and looks solid now.

Pete Hunter outplayed DeJuan Groce, if that is even relevant. Groce had the ball thrown at him quite a bit, and was getting beat. He would have looked bad if Brooks Bollinger could throw an accurate pass. Kevin Hobbs had his ups and downs, but he looks as good as or better than Groce and Hunter. He just isn’t as consistent.

If the team needs a 5th CB for a few games to start the season, then it would probably be Hunter, but Hobbs looks like a guy that would be more valuable in the long run. As long Kelly Jennings and Jordan Babineaux are good to go at the start of the season, then expect the team to go with 4 CBs and stash Hobbs on the practice squad.

(This is a follow-up to What to Watch For: Vikings vs. Seahawks)
1) Linebackers
Sorry, Mike Holmgren. I don’t believe you. Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, Kevin Bentley, Niko Koutouvides, Lance Laury, and Will Herring are all going to make the Seahawks active roster. I count seven. Herring missed a tackle, but had that interception in the endzone. He is too good to let go. Laury isn’t a starter-caliber LB, but he is a decent reserve and a good special teams player. The same goes for Koutouvides. And you really need 7 LBs on an NFL roster anyway. The only way a team would go with 6 LBs is if they didn’t have 7 guys talented enough to play in the NFL, and that isn’t the case in Seattle.

2) Darryl Tapp vs. Bryce Fisher
Darryl Tapp wasn’t nearly as effective going against Minnesota’s first-stringers as he has been against the backups on other teams. On the other hand, Bryce Fisher didn’t appear to benefit from playing against the second team guys, the way Tapp did in Green Bay and San Diego. This is a situation to watch, but Tapp and Fisher are both going to play a lot this year.

Tapp will get more snaps because he is a better situational pass-rusher, and whether or not he starts ahead of Fisher depends on his ability to play the run. The Seahawks are in good shape this year with the combination of the two opposite Patrick Kerney. The real question is if Tapp is going to take a big enough step forward to be a full-time starter in 2008 when Fisher might not be around, or be as good. Fisher’s contract runs through 2008, and he is scheduled to make $2.6 million next year.

3) Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson
Kelly Jennings played well while he was in there. It was Marcus Trufant getting all of the balls thrown in his direction. That is how Bobby Wade managed 5 catches for 85 yards. It isn’t time to hit the panic button, but Trufant needs to do more than just play tight coverage on completed passes. He also let the receiver get behind him to the outside on at least one play. That happened to Trufant too often last year, and it had nothing to do with the safeties. The one concern about Jennings is that he bruised his leg in this game. The MRI came back negative, so it sounds like he will still be ready to play against Tampa Bay.

Josh Wilson looked good returning kickoffs again. He didn’t fumble and didn’t make the cutbacks that Mike Holmgren said would eventually lead to fumbles. The starting kickoff return job still belongs to Nate Burleson, but Wilson looks like a great second option if Burleson is injured or injuries deplete the rest of the receiving corps. Wilson looks ready to be the nickel corner, and he should be able to step in and do an adequate job as a starter if Jennings can’t go.

4) Tight Ends
Bennie Joppru sealed his spot on the roster. Joppru came in the game almost immediately when the team when with a two-tight end set in the redzone during the second possession. He also played on basically all of the special teams units, and is the Seahawks emergency option at long snapper. Joe Newton continued to do nothing. Newton might have a spot on the practice squad if the team has given up on Leonard Stephens because of his injury, but even that doesn't seem too likely.

5) Wide Receiver Battles
Nate Burleson is really pushing D.J. Hackett to start at split end. Both players have had great camps, but Hackett started out as the starter, so he will probably retain that role for the time being. Burleson has been laying down some great blocks, which could swing things in his favor. His role as a return man doesn’t preclude him from starting, but it might influence a very close race. Burleson and Hackett will probably both start some games, and will be on the field at the same time in many of the 3-wide and 4-wide sets the Seahawks will frequently employ this year.

Courtney Taylor did not play, which means he doesn’t really have a chance to grab a roster spot. He still figures to be in the mix for a spot on the practice squad. That battle appears to be down to Taylor, Chris Jones, and Logan Payne. Surprisingly, Chris Jones was the 5th/6th receiver off the bench against the Vikings (he came in with Ben Obomanu). Jones has had a few nice practices after moving his way up the depth chart.

If the Seahawks keep only one receiver on the practice squad, then it would probably be Taylor, assuming he plays against the Raiders and looks like he is back to normal. It is hard to get a read on whether they would go with Jones or Payne as the second practice squad receiver, if there is one. Payne has been more consistent throughout camp, while Jones has really shined at times, but also disappeared at others. Jones first tried out with the team last November and was signed in January. His extra time with the team might give him an advantage.

6) Offensive Line
Floyd Womack did a good job at left tackle in the second half. It was enough to solidify his spot on the roster, assuming he doesn’t get hurt before the final cuts. If the team keeps another offensive lineman, then it would have to be as a 10th guy, and it would be C Pat Ross. However, he appears to be headed back to the practice squad for another season.

7) Running Backs
I don't think Leonard Weaver had such a bad game. You never want to get called for holding, but it was on a running play, which hasn’t been a problem for him. He actually dominated the guy he was blocking, but made the mistake of turning and pushing him down to the ground. It wasn't a true "hold" because he was getting beat in pass protection, which would have been more of a concern.

The fumble is inexcusable, but aren’t they all? He appeared to be pushing to make something happen after the illegal shift a few plays earlier. Marquis Weeks is notorious for lining up in the wrong place during the preseason and fumbling a lot, so it isn’t like Weaver is going to lose his spot to him on those grounds.

And a few nice runs by Marquis Weeks with less than three minutes to go against nobodies isn’t going to change my opinion of the running back situation. The team could always count on Weeks as the 3rd RB off the practice squad in the past, so maybe that changes because he is no longer eligible and he gets elevated to the active roster. But then again, they might just keep A.J. Harris in that role in case of injuries. He looks like an alright practice squad running back.

The Seahawks know what they have in Josh Parry, so that could be why he isn't getting that much playing time at fullback, especially when they need to spend some time vetting Leonard Weaver. Parry still plays a lot on all of the coverage and return units.

My best guess at this point in time is still that Weaver and Parry make the team, and I think they will probably stick A.J. Harris on the practice squad. I could even see them cutting Weeks on Tuesday so he has a chance to catch on with another team.

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What to Watch For: Vikings vs. Seahawks

Current versions of the easy-to-print Seahawks Numerical Roster and the full Seahawks 34-Category Roster are available, and include the latest roster moves and current injuries.

1) Linebackers
I’ll start off by saying I think the Seahawks will still keep 7 LBs, despite the sound byte from Mike Holmgren this week saying he envisions keeping six. That being said, it is at least worth watching. It will be Lance Laury (50), Will Herring (54), or Niko Koutouvides (53) that gets left off the roster if the Seahawks go with only 6 LBs. That few linebackers makes no sense though, especially with Julian Peterson nursing a sore knee, the injury problems that plague Leroy Hill, and the exceptional play of the three guys potentially on the chopping block.

2) Darryl Tapp vs. Bryce Fisher
I’ve been saying Darryl Tapp (55) would win the starting job from Bryce Fisher (94) by the end of September for months now. It looks like it might be by the end of August. It isn’t that important because no matter what happens, Tapp and Fisher (and the entire defensive line) were going to rotate quite a bit. And the Seahawks like to go with 3 DEs and move Fisher inside on third downs, so Tapp was also always going to be in there in third-down pass-rush situations. It just helps that it is also his forte.

The most interesting thing is that Darryl Tapp appears to be on his way to being a starting caliber DE, if he hasn’t already arrived. That is very important for the future with Patrick Kerney and Bryce Fisher already on the wrong side of 30. It would also be a relief to Seahawks fans to finally have some home grown talent at that trouble spot, which just so happens to be one of the five most important positions in football. When was the last time the Seahawks drafted a DE worth a stitch? I’ll save you some time: 1991, Michael Sinclair.

3) Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson
Kelly Jennings (21) has looked like a starting CB so far, but he should get an entire half to tune up and get ready for the regular season. The bigger concern is Josh Wilson (26). Now is the time he needs to prove he is ready to be the nickel corner, especially with Jordan Babineaux still not practicing. No more, "he has until the end of camp to develop." Camp is over.

4) Tight Ends
Joe Newton (46) has yet to show anything when playing at full speed. Leonard Stephens is going to miss this game with his lingering sprained ankle, which gives Bennie Joppru (47) a chance to secure a spot on the roster. Joppru just needs to avoid bad drops and fumbles (something he didn’t do against Green Bay), and stay healthy. It would take an injury or really poor effort from Joppru combined with Newton stepping up and showing something he hasn’t to this point for things to change at tight end. Will Heller (85) is back from his ankle injury, but expect his time to be limited.

5) Wide Receiver Battles
Nate Burleson (81) and D.J. Hackett (18) are in a battle for the starting split end spot. The smart money is on Hackett, even though Burleson has been playing well. The Seahawks will run a lot of 3-wide and 4-wide sets this year, so the real impact could be to the playing time of Bobby Engram (84), and that is a good thing. Engram is a great safety valve, but he isn’t going to be around forever. A progressive phasing out in favor of the younger receivers is ideal for the future.

The other battle is for the practice squad. Courtney Taylor (86) may play, and if he does, then he could really mix things up. Taylor has a chance to make the active roster if he can play well in two preseason games. However, keeping a 6th receiver at the cost of a linebacker or one of the defensive tackles doesn’t make much sense. Taylor should at least have a spot on the practice squad though.

That means that there might not even be a spot on the practice squad for another receiver. If there is one, then it comes down to Logan Payne (19), Joe Fernandez (17), Chris Jones (16), and Jordan Kent (82). Right now, Logan Payne is the only player that has shown enough to warrant consideration.

6) Offensive Line
It is put up or shut up time for Floyd Womack (77). He is either healthy or not. If he isn’t healthy, then he has to go. If he is, then he needs to be better right now than the other linemen fighting for a roster spot, or he has to go. Mike Holmgren can influence what Tim Ruskell does, and he better not waste his lobbying capital on Womack and forsake Craig Terrill. Womack needs to earn his roster spot, and we will see if he is up to it tonight.

With Ray Willis (74) starting at RT, it looks like C Pat Ross (60) would be Womack's biggest contender for the final offensive line spot. Womack’s return appears to be robbing Jonathan Alston (73) of the chance to show he can play LT as good or better than anyone else on the roster after Jones and Locklear.

7) Running Backs
There has been some reactionary fervor over the certainty at running back after some poor performances in Green Bay, but things are the same as they have been all camp. Obviously, Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, and Mack Strong have spots on the roster. And so does Leonard Weaver (43). It is really a question of if his poor pass blocking will limit the expansive role the team had envisioned for him. The concerns over Weaver’s blocking and some miscues by Marquis Weeks only solidified Josh Parry (49) as the final back on the roster.

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2 QB or Not 2 QB

I made a reference in the last post that the team could do something unorthodox, like keeping 2 QBs or 2 TEs to make room for Courtney Taylor. There has been a trend for a few NFL teams each year to go with only two quarterbacks on the active roster. A full 15% of NFL teams went with two quarterbacks in 2003: Buffalo, Denver, Indianapolis, San Diego, and Washington. Two more teams (Atlanta and Miami) waited out at least the first quarter of the season with only two healthy quarterbacks. Since then, I am aware of at least Dallas and Baltimore also going with only two quarterbacks during certain years. It isn't all that common, but it happens every year.

The Seahawks could do that this year, but they would need someone that could take snaps in an emergency. Safety Brian Russell played some QB in college, so he could do it in a pinch to close out a game if Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace were both knocked out in a single game.

That is what a team needs if they do go with 2 QBs. Dallas had WR Patrick Crayton as the emergency QB when they only went with 2 QBs in the past. I don't see Tim Ruskell as a 2-QB guy. However, I do think that would be more likely than the team keeping Derek Devine on the active roster.

I think the real danger David Greene is in isn't getting "beat out" for the final spot by Derek Devine, but rather "losing out" and proving he, like Devine, is also not worthy of a roster spot. If the Seahawks thinks Greene is on that level, then it would probably make the most sense to only go with 2 QBs, keep Devine on the practice squad, have Russell be the emergency 3rd QB, and free up a roster spot. I don't think that will happen, but it makes some sense depending on how Ruskell feels about Greene.

In 2003, the Redskins only went with two quarterbacks, and Vinny Cerrato, Vice President of Football Operations, said (as quoted by Len Pasquarelli):

Around the league, the typical No. 3 quarterback is a younger guy you are developing for down the road, and you hope you don't have to use him. Hey, you can get that younger guy the same number of snaps on the practice squad as you can on the (active) roster...if you've got a third quarterback on your practice squad, someone who was with you in camp, he's probably going to be of more immediate help anyway than some guy you just sign off the street. As long as you're backstopped by having a third guy on your practice squad, I don't see the danger of going with only two on the active roster.

So, there is a point of view where it makes sense to only keep 2 QBs. I am not sure I can really see Tim Ruskell adopting that point of view though. If he is going to do something out of the ordinary, then I find it more believable that he would opt for 2 TEs, and then try to stash 2 of the 3 guys fighting for that last spot on the practice squad. As noted before, I believe Bennie Joppru and Leonard Stephens are both (barely) still eligible.

Or the team could decided that Floyd Womack isn't worth a roster spot, but the offensive linemen that would take his place could safely be stashed on the practice squad. The Seahawks could potentially keep C Pat Ross and OT Jonathan Alston on the practice squad, and feel like they had their bases covered with respect to the offensive line.

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What about Courtney Taylor?

It looks like Courtney Taylor is going to play on Saturday, and that changes my perspective quite a bit. Taylor was the only receiver I ever saw as having a real chance to push the team to keep 6 receivers. If he can play in two preseason games, then he might be able to challenge for a roster spot even after missing all that time with injury.

If he doesn't play on Saturday, then he only has a couple of days of practice next week and the Raiders game to show his stuff. I stand by my previous statement that he looked as good as Ben Obomanu before he suffered that knee injury. If Taylor does end up winning a roster spot, then at whose expense does it come?

Do we believe Mike Holmgren when says he envisions keeping only six linebackers? If that is truly the case, then he must be envisioning keeping an "extra" guy at another position, and the most likely candidate appears to be Courtney Taylor as the sixth wide receiver.

However, it doesn't seem like getting rid of one of the linebackers makes sense to open up that spot. The more logical choice would be to go with only 5 DTs. I would like to see Courtney Taylor make the team, but I just don't see where that spot comes from. It seems like it would be from either Craig Terrill or Will Herring, and I don't find that too appealing.

Maybe the Seahawks end up doing something abnormal, like only going with 2 QBs or 2 TEs. Or they get rid of Floyd Womack, but keep Pat Ross and Jonathan Alston on the practice squad to make up for it. As bad as it sounds, an injury could also open up a roster spot.

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Tying up Loose Ends

Despite some poor play, the Seahawks roster still appears to be headed in basically the same direction. The biggest change in the probably with the tight ends. I had penciled Leonard Stephens in for a roster spot when it looked like Bennie Joppru was going to be out for a long time. And Stephens was completely healthy. However, Joppru missed less than two weeks with his leg injuries, while Stephens and Will Heller remained sidelined for over two weeks with sprained ankles.

That not only opened the door for Joppru, but also gave Joe Newton a chance to get many more reps than he had been earning. Three tight ends presumably ahead of him were all out for an entire week at one point. Even so, Joe Newton still looks more like a practice squad candidate at this point.

The battle for the final tight end spot likely comes down to Joppru vs. Stephens. It looked that way back on August 4th during the Seahawks Scrimmage, until Joppru was forced out of the game and finished the day on crutches. Stephens started to solidify a lead in that race until he was slowed by an injury of his own on August 10th that has kept him out for going on two weeks. And Joppru's speedy recovery has given him a chance to catch Stephens and even move ahead of him. Injuries have definitely greatly influenced what is going on at tight end.

The most appealing scenario now appears to be keeping Joppru (a former 2nd round pick) on the active roster, and stashing Leonard Stephens on the practice squad if possible. If I am interpreting the new CBA correctly, Stephens is eligible for one more practice squad season. He was eligible for the practice squad last year, when means he meets the basic requirements to be practice squad eligible.

You are only allowed to be on a practice squad for two years, and he was previously on the practice squad in Detroit for a year as well. However, the new CBA includes the following clause: "An otherwise eligible player may be a practice squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List during the entire period of his employment."

Bennie Joppru also appears to be practice squad eligible. Although Joppru has several accrued seasons in the NFL, he has never been on the active list for more than five games in any of those seasons. The new CBA also allows for "free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s)" to be practice squad players. And Joppru didn't accrue a season with the Seahawks last year because he was only on the active roster for five regular season games. It takes six to earn an accrued season.

So, it appears that both Stephens and Joppru would be eligible for the practice squad, even if they are walking a fine line on along the eligibility requirements. A healthy Joppru would likely garner more interest from other teams because he is a former 2nd round draft pick that has just had terrible luck with injuries, while Stephens has always been a fringe player splitting time between practice squads and NFL Europe.

Injuries are going to continue to influence this situation, but Joppru appears to be headed for the active roster as long as he can stay healthy over the next eight days. Leonard Stephens is still out and won't play against the Vikings. That leaves him five days starting Monday to prove his case, assuming he is back at practice on the 27th. The team also has to get ready for the game against the Raiders on Thursday and training camp is over, so Stephens is looking at a max of three practices and the most meaningless preseason game as his only opportunities.

David Greene and Floyd Womack are still on shaky ground, especially after the Green Bay game, but it would still take quite a bit for anyone to take away their roster spots. Pat Ross probably has the best chance of grabbing a spot from Womack, but that wouldn't make any sense if he could be safely stashed on the practice squad.

Offense (25)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
HB/FB (5) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, Josh Parry
WR (5) - Deion Branch, DJ Hackett, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Ben Obomanu
TE (3) - Marcus Pollard, Will Heller, Bennie Joppru
OL (9) - Walter Jones, Sean Locklear, Chris Spencer, Rob Sims, Chris Gray, Ray Willis, Tom Ashworth, Mansfield Wrotto, Floyd Womack

Defense (25)
DE (4) - Patrick Kerney, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins
DT (6) - Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Marcus Tubbs, Brandon Mebane, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill
OLB (5) - Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, Kevin Bentley, Lance Laury, Will Herring
ILB (2) - Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides
S (4) - Deon Grant, Brian Russell, Michael Boulware, Mike Green
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux

Special Teams (3)
K - Josh Brown
P - Ryan Plackemeier
LS - Derek Rackley

Practice Squad:
WR Courtney Taylor, WR Logan Payne, TE Leonard Stephens, C Pat Ross, OT Jonathan Alston, CB Kevin Hobbs, LB Cameron Jensen, S C.J. Wallace, DE Nu'u Tafisi

The practice squad list includes 9 players, one more than the 8 allowed, but these look like the guys most likely to wind up with this unit. Remember, one or more of them could potentially be signed by another team. You could also have a scenario where Courtney Taylor (or one of the others) makes the active roster in the place of someone that isn't practice squad eligible. Or you could have Taylor taking a spot away from Will Herring. Then it would be tough to know if Herring would clear waivers of not.

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Seneca Wallace and the Future of QBs in Seattle

The real Seneca Wallace contract numbers are finally available. It looks like the initial reports got a few things correct. The deal is an extension for 3 more years with $5.4 million in new money. It would normally be reported as a 4-year, $6.2 million deal, and Adam Shefter didn't get the signing bonus right, but he was right about the $400,000 roster bonus next March.

Contract Details
$1.6 million signing bonus
2007: $595,000
2008: $605,000 (+ $400,000 roster bonus due 3/15)
2009: $1.5 million
2010: $1.5 million

Salary Cap Numbers
2007: $995,000
2008: $1.405 million
2009: $1.9 million
2010: $1.9 million

Actual compensation if cut following each year
2007: An extra $1.4 million for nothing
2008: $2.4 million for one more year
2009: $3.9 million for two more years ($1.95 million per year)
2010: $5.4 million for three more years ($1.8 million per year)

Those numbers basically cement Seneca Wallace at the #2 QB in Seattle as long as he stays on the roster. The most important thing to look at is his actual compensation. You don't pay a guy $2 million a year to be a #3 QB. It also leaves the team with relatively little money to spend on another QB, and Matt Hasselbeck will probably get a new deal following the 2009 season.

If he is still performing at a high level, then I doubt Hasselbeck will want to play out the final year of his contract for $5.75 million, especially with the money Trent Green is getting this year. Hasselbeck will only be 33 in 2009. Trent Green is 37.

The door is still open to bring in another veteran quarterback because the Seahawks can now move Seneca Wallace to another position without worrying that it might discourage him from re-signing with team. Depending on how things shake out with the receivers, Wallace could become primarily a receiver, but also the third string quarterback.

That scenario would require several conditions to be met. First, the team would need to bring in someone capable of being a legitimate #2 QB. David Greene's upper limit appears to be as a #2b option, which would only free up Wallace to play a handful of plays at receiver or return a few punts. With a legitimate #2 that the Seahawks felt comfortable starting if they had to, then Wallace could move to receiver full-time.

That only makes sense on a roster that really needs another receiver. That could very well be the case if Bobby Engram retires and D.J. Hackett isn't re-signed. But Deion Branch and Nate Burleson are both young and locked up. Ben Obomanu is an emerging talent. I wouldn't count out Courtney Taylor as a contributor in 2008 either. And Engram might have another season after this one, even if it is as the #5 receiver.

So, all of that (and my crystal ball) tells me that the Seahawks will most likely go after another 3rd or 4th round QB in the draft. Maybe in 2008, but maybe not until 2009. It could be one more year of David Greene, especially if Hackett re-signs, Engram doesn't retire, or Courtney Taylor looks like Ben Obomanu, the sequel. Greene playing like he did last preseason instead of like he did against Green Bay wouldn't hurt either.

That leaves Seneca Wallace as the #2 QB behind Matt Hasselbeck until the team can draft a QB and develop that guy into a legitimate #2. Then Wallace could move to be a full-time receiver, while also holding down the #3 QB spot. If you assume Hasselbeck and Wallace stay with the Seahawks after 2010, then that could be a good situation for the next five or six years.

Fast forward to 2013. Once Hasselbeck retires, the young QB becomes the starter, and Wallace could always move back to the #2 QB spot, and would be an experienced veteran at that point. He would also be 33 years old and could extend his career several years as a backup QB.

If everything plays out like that, then I should start a psychic hotline. The specifics of what actually happens aren't that important, but those musings are illustrative of the options the Seahawks have on the table. The next QB to stick in Seattle will most likely be a 3rd or 4th rounder taken in 2008 or 2009. It doesn't make much sense to use a higher pick if the team feels Hasselbeck will be around for at least another 3 years, and too many things need to happen for it to make sense to bring in another #2 and move Wallace to receiver, at least until after 2008.

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Defensive Line Rotation

Clare Farnsworth at the Seattle PI reported some detailed and interesting information on the defensive line rotation in practice today that is exactly in line with what I discussed following the Seahawks-Packers game.

No. 1 line – Patrick Kerney, Rocky Bernard, Darby/Tubbs and Tapp.
No. 2 line – Atkins, Craig Terrill, Mebane and Fisher.
No. 3 line – Nu'u Tafisi, Eric Taylor, Russell Davis and Brandon Green.

Darryl Tapp worked with the first team ahead of Bryce Fisher. It looks like I might have been 10 days ahead of myself when I said I expected that to happen in September. I really meant by the end of September, and in a real game (not just in practice or the preseason). Even it if was just practice, it is a clear indication that we should expect to see Darryl Tapp starting at some point this season, and getting more snaps this year than Bryce Fisher. That is hardly news to anyone that has been reading this blog (or watching the team for that matter).

It also appears that Baraka Atkins has done enough to warrant moving ahead of Brandon Green on the depth chart. That is bad news for Brandon Green, and it doesn't look like he will make the team (although that shouldn't come as a surprise either). His only shot now is probably an injury, as Craig Terrill is back on the field and playing pretty well. Green is ostensibly 11th on the depth chart of defensive linemen, and the team isn't going to keep more than 10.

Brandon Mebane also made his way up the depth chart to get action with the second team defensive tackles. He was in there with Craig Terrill, and Russell Davis moved back to work with the third team. That isn't so significant, except that Mebane is getting his due.

And that was with Marcus Tubbs rotating in for Chuck Darby with the first team. The rotation at defensive tackle is always going to be confusing. The Seahawks have three starter caliber players in Tubbs, Darby, and Rocky Bernard. And then it appears that Terrill, Mebane, and Davis are all second string caliber guys at this point. The problem is that gives you six guys for four spots.

The rotation during the season isn't that cut-and-dried. Terrill will likely come in mainly on third down, and Davis is a first and second down guy. Tubbs is also a first and second down player, and he will have his snaps limited, at least initially. The combination of Darby and Bernard isn't very tough against the run, so depending on the opponent, Mebane or Davis would work with the first team when Tubbs isn't healthy. And Brandon Mebane is proving so versatile that he can be counted on to be effective against the pass and the run.

DT Marcus Green sat out practice with an undisclosed injury. He was working ahead of even Brandon Mebane in the Chargers game. That changed against the Packers and he had dropped behind even Eric Taylor, at least in terms of playing time in that one game. When healthy, Marcus Green is probably the 12th best defensive linemen (7th DT) on the Seahawks. He is good enough to play in the NFL, but he has always needed two injuries to defensive tackles to make the roster.

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(make that) 3 More Years for Seneca Wallace

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Seahawks signed Seneca Wallace to a three-year, $5.4 million contract. However, according to Tim Ruskell, the deal is for four years, which means Shefter was wrong. The 3-year number must have referred to additional years, but we're going to assume the rest of the details were correct. So it amounts to a three-year, $4.6 million extension over the one year and $800,000 left on his contract.

This move still indicates that Seneca Wallace is fairly entrenched as the #2 QB, but it is less certain than if the extension was for only 2 more years. The contract calls for his base salary to jump to $2 million this season. That was essentially a $1.2 million signing bonus, but the Seahawks get to count that toward the 2007 cap, which is a big advantage because they have the room.

That means Wallace is scheduled to earn $3.4 million from 2008 through 2010 combined (not including his $1.2 million de facto signing bonus). Part of that is a $400,000 roster bonus that he will receive in March. The Seahawks could theoretically cut him before then, and would only be out the $1.2 million without any future salary cap penalties. That obviously isn't their plan, but this move is relatively low-risk.

I can't see another QB signing in Seattle with Seneca Wallace on the roster making $1.533 million per year (including his signing bonus) over the next three seasons. The Seahawks gave him the $1.2 million to lock him up for 3 more years. That is low-risk, especially with no salary cap implications, but that isn't money the Seahawks want to throw away.

If they could convince someone else to sign here (or made a trade), then I guess they could move Seneca Wallace to the #3, so maybe the cash was pay off money for him to accept that, or to put him in a position where he is forced to accept that.

Matt Hasselbeck is only making $16.75 million combined in 2008 and 2009, so the total QB budget could have room for another #2 QB salary. It will only be $20.15 million total over the next 3 years between Hasselbeck and Wallace. Although Hasselbeck's signing bonus counts $3.2 million per year in 2008 and 2009.

That still means that both of them combined will only count a total of $26.55 million against the cap from 2008 through 2010. An average cap figure of $8.85 million isn't all that much for both of them when other top QBs are getting $10 million a year. At the same time, it doesn't make any sense to give a quarterback a $1.2 million signing bonus, and a total of $4.6 million in new money, just to be a #3.

The team gets the benefit of counting $1.2 million in 2007 because he signed that extension now instead of as a free agent after his season, but they are really out an extra $1.533 million a year over the next three seasons assuming Wallace is on the roster. That makes him a relatively low paid #2, but it would make him one of the highest paid #3s in the NFL.

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Seahawks vs. Packers redux

Yes, there was more to learn from the Seahawks game in Green Bay than the fact that the tackles struggled in the absence of Walter Jones and Sean Locklear or that Seneca Wallace and David Greene looked like disasters at quarterback.

One thing that jumped out that I wasn’t really looking for was the play of the reserve linebackers. I wasn’t looking for it anymore because they had already proven themselves, but Will Herring, Kevin Bentley, and Lance Laury all continued to play well. It was also nice to see Niko Koutouvides in there and healthy. Maurice Morris was one of the few bright spots on offense, and Ben Obomanu continued to show why his spot on the roster isn’t in question.

(This is a follow-up to What to Watch For: Seahawks vs. Packers)
1) Josh Wilson and DeJuan Groce
Josh Wilson didn’t appear to be giving up as many plays as he did against San Diego. Wilson also atoned for his fumble last week by making quite a few solid plays in the return game, even if you exclude the returns brought back because of penalties. Nate Burleson will still return the kicks when the regular season begins, but Wilson will give them another option if Burleson gets injured or a rash of injuries hit the rest of the receiving corps and Burleson becomes too valuable to use in the return game.

DeJuan Groce didn’t appear until near the end of the third quarter, and he allowed Paul Thompson to complete three passes to David Clowney in his limited time in the game. It is going to take a lot more than that to warrant consideration as a 5th CB. Groce has only been with the team a short time, but he only has a short time to prove he is worth consideration for a roster spot.

2) The Offensive Line
Tackles Tom Ashworth, Ray Willis, Floyd Womack, and Kyle Williams all struggled. Seneca Wallace and David Greene faced constant pressure from both sides. If we learned one thing, it is that the Seahawks do not have a third option at left tackle. Jonathan Alston didn’t get much of a chance to play in this game, but he has looked better than Tom Ashworth and Floyd Womack did.

The line also struggled with a bunch of guys at new positions, in addition to Ashworth and Womack. Ray Willis started at RT and then moved to RG later in the game. Mansfield Wrotto played at RG, but he has been working almost exclusively at LG to this point. The reverse is true of Steve Vallos, who linep up at LG with the second team, but he has been playing RG with the third team.

The line rotation was basically directly connected to the quarterback:
1) Tom Ashworth-Rob Sims-Chris Spencer-Chris Gray-Ray Willis with Seneca Wallace
2) Floyd Womack-Steve Vallos-Pat Ross-Ray Willis-Kyle Williams with David Greene
(Mansfield Wrotto came in for Ray Willis at RG with just under 3 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter)
3) Jonathan Alston-Steve Vallos-Austin King-Mansfield Wrotto-Kyle Williams with Derek Devine

3) Defensive Tackles
Rocky Bernard and Chuck Darby started the game, but only played very briefly. Russell Davis and Craig Terrill came in almost immediately and played well into the third quarter. And then Brandon Mebane finally got some action on the defensive line, along with Eric Taylor, Nu’u Tafisi and Baraka Atkins. He played well, but that still puts him as the 5th DT on the depth chart, not including Marcus Tubbs. Marcus Green hardly played at all.

4) Baraka Atkins vs. Brandon Green
Brandon Green continues to play ahead of Baraka Atkins. Patrick Kerney and Bryce Fisher started, and then it was Darryl Tapp and Julian Peterson. Peterson only played briefly before giving way to Brandon Green. Baraka Atkins didn't come in until much later, but he did continue to show signs of improvement, and Green didn’t stand out, so he appears to be closing that gap. He is just still behind at this point.

The Seahawks appear to have at least 12 defensive linemen that are probably good enough to make an NFL roster, but they may keep as few as 9, and almost certainly no more than 10. That could be really unfortunate for Brandon Green and Marcus Green, who appear likely to be on the outside looking in. At least Marcus Green or even Nu’u Tafisi could land on the practice squad.

5) David Greene
David Greene was a disaster. We shouldn’t judge him too harshly on one preseason game, especially one where Seneca Wallace didn’t look any better. You could also argue that Greene turned in a better performance that Wallace’s 2 of 5, two turnover performance in the first half against San Diego. That being said, David Greene stunk it up. We have relatively little to judge him on, so one really bad game makes up a considerable portion of his resume.

The Seahawks committed to Greene as the #3 QB when they went to camp with Erik Meyer and Derek Devine as the only other options. If Greene looks bad in practice, then Devine looks atrocious. While we haven’t seen Seneca Wallace play badly enough to be in full panic mode, the poor play behind him should have us even more concerned about him. He needs to show he is going to be better than he was last year, not worse.

6) Joe Newton
Joe Newton is a complete non-factor on this team. Bennie Joppru might be currying some favor by being the only decent option after Marcus Pollard that is currently on the practice field, but he had at least one drop and a fumble. Leonard Stephens will likely be the #3 TE, but he does need to get back on the field sooner, rather than later.

7) Wide Receivers and the practice squad battle
Nate Burleson got to show a little flash of what he has been showing off in practice, and he gave an excellent sideline interview. How can you not like the guy?

Does anyone still think the Seahawks should be worried that Jordan Kent will be signed by another team? It will probably take at least one reception (one more than he currently has) to garner any interest from other teams, or to have a chance at the practice squad with Seattle. Logan Payne looked pretty decent again, and he has to be considered the front runner among the guys not getting consideration for an active roster spot. Fernandez didn’t help his cause by letting an on-target David Greene pass carom off his chest for an interception.

8) Leonard Weaver
Leonard Weaver did a solid job run blocking, but he was a disaster in pass protection. He still has a way to go in that department, which severely limits his appeal as a third down back. It didn’t help that the Packers were blitzing and the offensive line wasn’t even blocking their own guys, but he had a poor showing nonetheless. So did Marquis Weeks, with a penalty on special teams and a missed block that resulted in a sack and fumble. The combination of all of those things make Josh Parry’s case for a roster spot even stronger.

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David Greene vs. Seneca Wallace

Seneca Wallace is clearly a better QB than David Greene at this point in time. Wallace also has a two-year head start in the league and with the Seahawks in this offense. Not to mention that Wallace gets many more reps in practice and playing time in the preseason, and finally got some real game experience last year. If the complaint is that David Greene isn't coming along fast enough, then Seneca Wallace should be ahead of where Greene will be in two years (assuming he gets as much practice time as Wallace has had in the past two years) to avoid the same ire. That is just something to think about if you are attacking David Greene.

The who's developing faster argument is immaterial to the Seahawks this season, and the priority has to be the development of Seneca Wallace. If Wallace needs more time to get right for this season, then by all means give it to him, even if it is at the cost of opportunities for David Greene. There is a decent chance we won't see Wallace this season, but there is almost no chance we will see Greene.

Wallace still looks a lot better than Greene, but that isn't saying too much when Greene looks so bad. No matter what the circumstances, Seneca Wallace needs to play better than he has in the last two games. How well he is prepared to play matters a lot more than how ready Greene is. And how bad David Greene would be if Matt Hasselbeck and Wallace get hurt doesn't matter if the Seahawks can't count on Seneca Wallace to get it done if Hasselbeck gets hurt.

I graded each pass play against Green Bay in terms of if there was significant pressure on the quarterback, and the play of the quarterback. The following point system was used to assign a value to each play:
+2 = completion with significant pressure
+1 = completion without pressure
+1 = dropped pass with pressure
+0 = incompletion or sack without turnover with pressure
+0 = dropped pass without pressure
-1 = incompletion without pressure
-2 = fumble, interception, dropped interception with pressure
-3 = fumble, interception, dropped interception without pressure

Seneca Wallace saw significant pressure on 7 of 21 (33%) plays, while Greene saw pressure on 6 of 19 plays (32%). Using the system above, Seneca Wallace scored a total of -6. David Greene scored a total of -5. We could argue the finer points of that scoring system, but the two quarterbacks were basically equally terrible. I played around with the values a little bit, and the two never differ by more than a point or two from each other. Greene was actually significantly better with pressure (+6 vs. -2), while Wallace was better without pressure (-11 vs. -4).

Seneca Wallace and David Greene both looked terrible, but Greene did just get his first half of football in a year and he had a backfield of A.J. Harris and David Kirtman in there with him, and an offensive line of:
Floyd Womack-Steve Vallos-Pat Ross-Ray Willis-Kyle Williams.

Vallos has been playing RG (barely), but moved to LG for the first time this game, and Womack was a disaster at LT in his first action back. Greene struggled a lot, but he wasn't any worse than Seneca Wallace was in his first half this preseason against the Chargers (with better guys around him and less pressure from the defense) or even much, if any, worse against the Packers. The Seneca Wallace interception against San Diego wasn't any prettier than Greene's first pick against Green Bay.

Maybe Greene will bounce back like Wallace did and play as well as he did last preseason if he is given another chance or maybe he won't. And it should be more important to get Seneca Wallace on track, so Greene might not even get any more chances to bounce back.

Seneca Wallace looked bad in San Diego in the first half, he redeemed himself a little in the second, and then he looked bad again against the Packers. I saw David Greene get sacked twice, but he held onto the ball. Wallace needs to do that. It wasn't just a problem against the Packers. Wallace now has 3 lost fumbles in 3 halves of football this preseason. And in his 4 starts last year, he had 5 fumbles and lost 3 of them. He also continues to fire the ball into the offensive line.

Those appear to be things you have to live with if Seneca Wallace is your QB. However, I am not going to ignore how well he played last year when he came in. He wasn't perfect, but he was adequate as a backup QB. I would like to see him be better than that, and I think he can, but right now he looks worse.

I also don't think we can ignore how well David Greene looked last preseason or in the scrimmage. He was a disaster against Green Bay, but he got thrown to the wolves. It would be a lot different if Wallace had been successful and then Greene came in and was a disaster. That wasn't the case. They were both train wrecks.

We shouldn't be making excuses for either of them. Yes, the offensive line played poorly. So what? You still need to hold onto the ball when you get sacked, and you can't force the ball into coverage. The prevailing attitude seems to be "Let's make excuses for Seneca Wallace, but not for David Greene." We shouldn't be making excuses for either of them, and we should care more about how bad Wallace looks because he might actually play.

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What to Watch For: Seahawks vs. Packers

Not a whole lot has changed from what we watched for in the Seahawks-Chargers game, but there are a few differences, and things are starting to get clearer. Updated versions of the easy-to-print Seahawks Numerical Roster and the full Seahawks 34-Category Roster are available, and include the latest roster moves and current injuries.

1) Josh Wilson and DeJuan Groce
The Seahawks are solid with Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings as the starters. Josh Wilson (26) didn’t have the best game against the Chargers, and much of the same happens in practice at times. He is still a guy that was taken toward the end of the second round, and is maturing into a nickel corner. That could be problematic if he isn’t ready by the start of the season and Jordan Babineaux is still out. Neither of those seem likely, but if both occur, then DeJuan Groce (35) has a chance to make the squad as the 5th CB, and that would almost certainly come at the expense of a DT. He will likely see his first action with the Seahawks tomorrow.

2) The Offensive Line
The absence of Walter Jones and Sean Locklear forces the hand of the coaching staff to make decisions on where players fit in. Check out the Injury Impact: Green Bay for details on what we might see. As noted previously, Floyd Womack (77) could play. It seems a little coincidental that he was back on the field as soon as it appeared the guys trying to take his spot were going to get a lot of playing time. Those guys are C Pat Ross (60), LT Jonathan Alston (73), and RT Kyle Williams (79).

Steve Vallos (69) could also benefit because the injuries are forcing Ray Willis (74) out of the RG spot he has been manning, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Floyd Womack at RG either. Or they could keep Rob Sims (67) at LG with the second unit, which has normally been Mansfield Wrotto (66), and move Wrotto over to RG. We'll just have to wait and see. Austin King (64) and Jason Murphy (63) aren’t worth paying attention to, but they might even get in to finish the game at C and LG.

3) Defensive Tackles
Marcus Tubbs was back at practice this week, but he isn’t ready to play, and isn’t traveling with the team. Craig Terrill (93) is also back, and looking to prove he has a spot on this roster. Terrill was working with the first team on his first day back (partially due to Rocky Bernard resting a sore knee).

That should make the rotation interesting for Brandon Mebane (92) who has been running with the third team, behind Marcus Green (98). I may have been a little harsh on Marcus Green and his chances of making the team. He is a good player, and is good enough to make the team. He is also the 7th DT on the depth chart, and the team might not even keep 6. His best shot is to convince the team they can go with only 5 DTs on the active roster and keep him on the practice squad.

If Bernard doesn’t play very much, then Mebane could move ahead of Marcus Green and work with the second team. Otherwise, he is likely still stuck behind Bernard (99), Chuck Darby (901, Russell Davis (95), and Craig Terrill (93).

4) Baraka Atkins vs. Brandon Green
Baraka Atkins (96) showed signs of life against the Chargers, but Brandon Green (70) is a legitimate threat to his roster spot. Atkins has been generally unimpressive, while Brandon Green has been playing well. But that will have to continue throughout the rest of the preseason and camp to cost the fourth-rounder a roster spot. It isn’t likely, but at some point Atkins needs to show he is a better choice. If not now, then at least that he will be in the future. Brandon Green also has a chance to convince the team that keeping 5 DEs is a better idea than 6 DTs. Baraka Atkins, Craig Terrill, and Brandon Green are likely fighting for the final 1 or 2 spots on the defensive line (with the likelihood of winning a spot in that order).

5) David Greene
Many people were surprised that David Greene didn’t play against the Chargers. Immediately after the game, I said, “I wouldn't be surprised if Holmgren decided it was a better idea to leave David Greene out tonight, and instead of giving him a few series at the end of a few games, he is going to give him an entire half or more in one of the next two games. That gives both Greene and Wallace the opportunity to get in rhythm or play through some kinks. Holmgren will probably say something along those lines if asked.” And it looks like that was spot on.

David Greene played well in the scrimmage and in the preseason last year, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he plays well tomorrow. It also wouldn’t be surprising if he initially struggled, as Seneca Wallace did, but settled down and played well once he got into rhythm. It would be hard for him to look worse than Wallace did in the first half (which he played almost entirely). David will have an opportunity in Greene Bay to silence his doubters (more below).

6) Joe Newton
This is another chance for Joe Newton (46) to show he has what it takes to win a roster spot. The door is wide open for him to make his move, but he still has to walk through it. He made a few nice catches in practice this week, but he really struggles at full speed. He ran the 40 about as fast as C Pat Ross (4.89 vs. 4.96). Newton should get a ton of playing time with Will Heller and Leonard Stephens not making the trip, but it is up to him to do something with it. It wouldn't be surprising to see him get outplayed by Bennie Joppru (47). It also wouldn't be surprising to see Joppru get re-injured.

7) Wide Receivers and the practice squad battle
Nate Burleson (81) and D.J. Hackett (18) have a chance to show the fans what they want to see. Those two continue to look good in practice. Otherwise, we are basically looking at a practice squad battle. Ben Obomanu (87) has made the team. I suppose Courtney Taylor or Logan Payne has a remote chance of making the roster, but that is not likely. Things might be different if Taylor was healthy, but he isn’t.

Logan Payne (19) is probably competing with Joe Fernandez (17), Chris Jones (16), and Jordan Kent (82) for a spot on the practice squad. And you can throw the injured Courtney Taylor into the mix as well, but we obviously won’t see on Saturday. Jordan Kent is probably last in that bunch right now, and really needs to breakout if he wants even a chance at a spot on the practice squad. People that think he is going to make the active roster or get signed by another team are seemingly abandoning all logic, and ignoring everything but his height and 40 time.

Why is everyone so worried that the 210th pick of the draft is going to be signed off the Seahawks practice squad to the active roster of another team? Especially when that means he wasn't in camp at all with that team, and he hasn't looked especially good at Seahawks camp or in the preaseason. His measurables might land him on the practice squad of another team if he isn’t good enough to make the Seahawks taxi squad.

8) Leonard Weaver
Leonard Weaver (43) gets another chance to show us his versatility. Let's try this again, "Expect to see him contribute on short-yardage, in the passing game, and do some nice things in single-back sets, as well as being the heir apparent to Mack Strong at fullback." He should be able to show us some of that with mostly the regulars on offense, as long as Seneca Wallace doesn’t turn the ball over twice again, or throw him some more uncatchable balls.

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Opportunity in Greene Bay

We should get a good look at David Greene during the second half against the Green Bay Packers. As long as Seneca Wallace doesn’t stink it up again in the first half, then David Greene should start the second half and play most of it. Eric Meyer and/or Derek Devine might sneak in there at the very end, especially if Greene is successful.

What should we expect to see from David Greene? Well, despite the prevailing sentiment that he is nothing but a failure, I would expect to see something at least approaching what he has shown the last three times he has been thrown into game scenarios.

In Greene’s two extended appearances in the preseason last year, he went 7 of 11 for 53 yards with no turnovers against the Cowboys, and then 13 of 19 for 144 yards with no turnovers against the Raiders. Completing 20 of 30 (67%) for 197 yards without turning the ball over is pretty impressive for someone that is supposedly such a failure.

Greene was also impressive during the Seahawks Scrimmage against the first team defense. He went 8 of 9 (89%) for 61 yards. His only incompletion came when Maurice Morris stepped in front of him as he threw, and his hand hit Morris’ helmet as he released the ball.

But David Greene doesn’t need to complete 89% of his passes to be successful on Saturday, or even 67%. He just needs to show he can run the offense, move the chains a little bit, and avoid making costly turnovers. He will only have a half to do that, but hopefully he does better than what we saw from Seneca Wallace.

Seneca Wallace finished 17 of 25 for 191 yards with a touchdown and two turnovers, but he didn’t look so impressive in his first half of work (the amount of time David Greene will get). In his first three possessions, Wallace went 0 of 2 with an interception and a fumble. By the end of the first half, he had managed to improve to 2 of 5 for 46 yards, and did not turn the ball over for a third time.

His numbers weren’t much better even if you want to include his first possession of the second half (he didn’t play the first possession of the game). He complete 3 passes for 10 yards, but one of them was a ricochet to Tom Ashworth for -2 yards. Wallace was able to work himself out of it after a rough start to finish with some pretty decent numbers, but Greene will not have that opportunity if he struggles. It would be yet another example of how limited David Greene has been in his opportunities to develop as a quarterback.

Greene might throw an ill-advised pass that gets picked off or make some bad throws if the piecemeal offensive line allows a lot of pressure, but I expect to see him out there leading the team and completing passes. Ben Obomanu, Logan Payne, Joe Fernandez, and Chris Jones should give him some pretty decent options, although he won’t necessarily have a reliable safety valve at tight end.

If Greene attempts 15 passes, then 8 or 9 completions for 90 yards would be a decent outing, especially if he can avoid turning the ball over and/or lead a scoring drive. Asking much more of him in his first half of play since last August with a bunch of backups wouldn't be fair. Although, we shouldn't be afraid to get down on him if he turns in a real stinker of a half like Seneca Wallace did.

And all of the David Greene haters out there shouldn't bother to point out that Seneca Wallace only looked bad against the starters in San Diego. The interception and fumble were entirely Wallace's fault and would have happened no matter who was in on defense. And the same is probably true of the pass batted at the line, and the weak attempt to hit Leonard Weaver in the flat. San Diego was also playing their second and third team defenders pretty early in that game.

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Seahawks vs. Chargers redux

In addition to the key points covered below, a few things stuck out, and they were mostly covered in the Quick Hits. Perhaps the most exciting thing was the show that Darryl Tapp put on. I have been saying this for some time, but expect Darryl Tapp to start at some point this season, sooner rather than later, and to play more snaps than Bryce Fisher this year, no matter how long it takes him to crack the starting line-up.

The other somewhat interesting thing was the DBs further down the depth chart. CB Kevin Hobbs showed up Pete Hunter, who turned in a disaster of a performance. Hobbs played well and looks like he will get a practice squad spot as long as the team only goes with 4 CBs on the active roster.

C.J. Wallace also appears to be ahead of Patrick Ghee on the depth chart at safety. Ghee was coming off an injury, so it remains to be seen if Wallace only climbed over him temporarily. It might be a case where the injury opened a door, and Wallace walked right through it. The interception was fairly meaningless, but it definitely didn't hurt his chances for a practice squad spot.

What We Saw: Seahawks vs. Chargers
(This is a follow-up to What to Watch For: Seahawks vs. Chargers)
1) Game readiness of Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson
Kelly Jennings looked like an NFL starter, so we saw at least half of what we wanted. Josh Wilson struggled somewhat, but what might have been perceived as poor play was also a consequence of the bootlegs the offense was running and the entire defense struggling to react correctly (as John Madden droned on about). Wilson didn’t always have the inside help he should have from safeties and/or linebackers. That being said, he showed that he still needs to show quite a bit of improvement by the start of the season.

2) The Offensive Line
The offensive line looked great. Chris Spencer and Rob Sims looked tough inside. Ray Willis played well at RG, but with the starting tackles sitting for all or most of the rest of the preseason, that experiment appears all but abandoned for the time being. Floyd Womack playing tackle appears to be its only possible saving grace.

Mansfield Wrotto continued to shed the “project” tag, as he appears ready to contribute now. Pat Ross held down the interior well. It was he and Wrotto that dominated the defense on Weeks’ waltz into the endzone, doing exactly what they had worked on in practice to account for the ILB in the 3-4. Jonathan Alston had the entire second half at LT, but he was basically decleated on one play, blew his assignment on another, was getting pushed around most of the time. Kyle Williams and Steve Vallos only got in for the last 10 minutes, but they played well.

3) Young, reserve defenders earning their roster spots
Brandon Mebane played alright, but didn’t really distinguish himself. He was running with Eric Taylor as the third set of DTs, behind Rocky Bernard & Chucky Darby, and Russell Davis & Marcus Green. We should expect Mebane to be ahead of Marcus Green, so that should change, but remember; Marcus Tubbs and Craig Terrill weren’t playing either. And Russell Davis looks like a beast. Expectations for Mebane’s impact appear to be getting way out ahead of him at this point.

Baraka Atkins started slow, but picked it up after awhile. He also found himself with the third team, behind Brandon Green (who played most of the 2nd quarter and started the 2nd half). Brandon Green played well and has a real chance at making the team (unlike Marcus Green). Atkins had some nice backside pursuit on the play where Kevin Bentley jumped offside. He also got the penetration that allowed Mebane to record his only tackle (assisted by Michael Boulware). Atkins still needs to improve, but he finally showed some signs that he will.

Lance Laury, and especially Will Herring confirmed they deserve roster spots as the 6th and 7th LBs. Herring was all over the field making plays, and even lined up as the MLB and played in the nickel. Laury showed again that he is a big hitter and has what it takes. The books are closed at linebacker.

4) Quarterback Depth
As I pointed out, “Seneca Wallace is still developing into an NFL quarterback.” And he showed us that his development isn’t complete. Wallace tends to press and panic. And when he does that, he makes mistakes; big ones. He ended up pulling it together and playing better in the second half, which was encouraging, but it was also against a bunch of nobodies. David Greene did not get into the game, in part because of Seneca Wallace’s struggles, and due to the possessions lost on turnovers (by Josh Wilson and two by Wallace).

5) Wide Receivers
Ben Obomanu turned his hold on the 5th receiver spot into a stranglehold. The Seahawks will keep five good receivers, and Obomanu will be one of them. Nate Burleson didn’t play very much, and neither he nor D.J. Hackett were able to show off what has been going on in practice. Logan Payne might have slipped a notch, but that dropped pass wasn’t his fault. Jordan Kent lived up to his billing as an also-ran, and was obviously outplayed by two other guys in that group: Chris Jones and Joe Fernandez. Jones is rising up on the depth chart, which probably puts Kent at 9th of the 10 healthy, participating receivers.

6) Injuries
Basically none. Leonard Stephens played, but re-injured his ankle during the game. There were no new injuries, unless you count Josh Wilson’s sore heal, thought to be caused by his shoes. Stephens and Will Heller both have sprained ankles, which makes it tough to sort out the tight end situation. Joe Newton didn’t do anything with the opportunity against the Chargers, although he did seem to figure out how to put on his helmet.

7) Leonard Weaver
Weaver was a slight disappointment. He didn’t get a chance to showcase everything he can do. Seneca Wallace is partly to blame for that. He threw and fumbled away most of the opportunities Weaver had with the regulars.

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