Seahawks-49ers

Winning on the road within the division is never easy. Even in 2005, when the Seahawks went 6-0 in the division, they barely held on to beat a Ken Dorsey led 49ers team, 27-25. That being said, the Seahawks should handle their business on Sunday.

Alex Smith is atrocious. He wasn't very good last year with 5 more turnovers than touchdowns, and he is already -2 in that department through 2 games. He seems to be able to throw about as many touchdowns as interceptions (a big improvement over his rookie year), but that isn't any big achievement and he still manages to lose fumbles on a regular basis. Losing his tight end (Vernon Davis is out with a sprained MCL) will hurt him even more. The Seahawks defense should be able to crowd the box, stuff Frank Gore, and force Alex Smith to beat them. Don't worry, he can't.

The Seahawks will likely face a lot of nickel. That is actually a good personnel grouping for the 49ers. They can get Keith Lewis in the game with Mark Roman and Michael Lewis. The 49ers will run a 3-3-5. The problem with that is the safeties are suited to play the run. Even though it will be essentially a nickel package for much of the game, the Seahawks should be able to pass against that defense. If Holmgren allows Branch and Burleson to run deep routes, then Hasselbeck is looking at a 3-TD game.

Nate Clements is good against the run. Lewis and Lewis, and Roman are as well. So look for the wideouts to stretch the defense. Nolan will probably adjust, and Alexander should go for 100 yards in the second half alone. If Mike Holmgren is worth his salt as an offensive guru, the 'Hawks should have no problem finding paydirt at least 4 times. The 49ers will play a nickel that is strong against the run. Answer: pass. Then they will play 3 CBs and over pursue the pass. Solution: run Alexander or Strong on draws.

I normally hate the way Holmgren relies on the draw, but that play alone should eat up plenty of yards and go for at least one TD on Sunday.

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I'm Alive

Sorry to anyone that has been checking here regularly just to see the same old posts. I was out of town from September 12th until September 22nd, and I didn't think it was the best idea to publicize that ahead of time.

I was back in time to go to the Bengals game, and I have been catching up on other responsibilities the last 3 days. I will weigh in tomorrow with some general thoughts on the last two weeks, and then the upcoming game against the 49ers.

I have mixed feelings about the Seahawks season so far, but I am still confident they will win the division and make a run at the Super Bowl. If they lose to a putrid 49ers team, then that outlook might change, depending on the circumstances.

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Trader Tim

The Seahawks have traded DE Bryce Fisher to Mike Reinfeldt and the Tennessee Titans for a draft pick. In a separate move, the Seahawks acquired QB Charlie Frye from the Cleveland Browns for a draft pick.

Fisher lost his starting spot to Darryl Tapp, and the Seahawks recently added DE Jason Babin, as well as DT Ellis Wyms (who can play on the outside as well). $2.4 million is a lot of money to pay an aging defensive end that is slipping down the depth chart. Fisher is scheduled to make a total of $5 million over the next two years (including this season).

Charlie Frye's numbers are not representative of how well he has played for a terrible Cleveland team. Frye is only in his third year, but has already started 19 games. He gives the Seahawks a legitimate 3rd QB. The roster finally looks normal with 9 defensive linemen and 3 quarterbacks.

Offense (26)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Charlie Frye
HB/FB (5) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Alvin Pearman, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver
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

Defense (24)
DE (4) - Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins, Jason Babin
DT (5) - Rocky Bernard, Chuck Darby, Brandon Mebane, Ellis Wyms, 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, C.J. Wallace
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux

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

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Week 1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Imagine an older, less talented Seahawks team, and you basically get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There is more to it than that, but it is a pretty fair statement. The Seahawks are lucky to play the Bucs in Week 1. Tampa Bay is likely to get better as the year goes on.

When Tampa Bay has the ball:
The key to the Seahawks home opener is the Tampa Bay offensive line. In 2005, an unremarkable group played consistently for them. Last year, that group fell apart. Jeff Garcia could be a nice addition for the Bucs, but only if he has time to throw. He failed in Cleveland and Detroit because, among other reasons, the offensive lines were terrible. Garcia succeeded with the Eagles because he was able to stay off his back.

Tampa Bay will start their first two picks from each of the last two drafts. Three of those are on the offensive line (LG Arron Sears, RG Davin Joseph, RT Jeremy Trueblood). The Bucs also have a new starter at left tackle (Luke Petitgout). Petitgout is coming off a broken leg and was slowed this offseason with back trouble. That unit could eventually be pretty good this season, but it would be a stretch to think they will come out of the gates hitting on all cylinders.

Garcia will look for Joey Galloway often. Even at age 35, Galloway is one of the fastest players in the NFL on Sundays. Jon Gruden will run a lot of quick slants to give Garcia an outlet if the offensive line breaks down. Galloway has the wheels to turns those five yard passes into 50 yard touchdowns. The rest of the Bucs receivers are big and slow. Maurice Stovall will probably start, but David Boston and Michael Clayton are more talented and quicker.

Tampa needs to keep it a low-scoring affair and play from ahead, or else they will struggle with the pass rush and Garcia might not finish the game. The offensive line will again be key in opening holes for Cadillac Williams. The Seahawks defensive line should be good enough to allow the linebackers to hit the gaps and plug the holes. Williams isn’t a big threat to the outside, but the Seahawks can’t get sucked up on a run blitz. He can still take off-tackle left to the house.

Note: Jon Gruden says Jerramy Stevens will play.

When Seattle has the ball:
The Tampa Bay defense is old, but it is getting better and younger in spots. DE Simeon Rice and DT Ellis Wyms are gone. DE Gaines Adams is a very nice player, but he probably isn’t going to be better than Simeon Rice in his first NFL game.

The linebacking corps should also be improved with former Pro Bowlers Cato June and Jeremiah Trotter on the team. Trotter might not make much of an impact. He is probably ready to play physically, but he isn’t ready to quarterback the defense from the middle linebacker position. He has been with the team for about a week.

Shaun Alexander should be able to run up the middle of that defense without too much trouble. Getting to the outside will be more difficult. The Seahawks will be able to run the ball with some success, but the short passing game will be key. Cato June has a knack for slipping back into coverage and getting picks. He has 8 interceptions over the last two years, which is a lot for a linebacker. Rhonde Barber is also a ballhawk, and he hides in coverage. If the Seahawks establish the run and complete a few short passes early, then Matt Hasselbeck should be able to hit a few homeruns off play action.

Only the Washington Redskins allowed more passing touchdowns than Tampa Bay last year. Rhonde Barber is overrated. He gets interceptions and makes big hits and tackles, but he isn’t the greatest cover guy. The rest of the secondary is worse. If the offensive line can give Hasselbeck time to throw, then he should rack up a really nice game. Three touchdowns is very achievable.

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Week 1 Picks

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans (-3). Texans to win. Texans to cover.
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills (+3). Broncos to win. Broncos to cover.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (+5). Steelers to win. Browns to cover.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7). Jaguars to win. Titans to cover.
Carolina Panthers at St.Louis Rams (-1.5). Rams to win. Rams to cover.
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers (+3). Eagles to win. Eagles to cover.
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-3). Vikings to win. Vikings to cover.
Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins (-3). Dolphins to win.
New England Patriots at New York Jets (+6). Jets to win.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks (-6). Seahawks to win. Seahawks to cover.
Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers (-6.5). Chargers to win. Bears to cover.
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (-2.5). Lions to win.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-6). Cowboys to win. Cowboys to cover.
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5). Bengals to win. Bengals to cover.
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-3). Cardinals to win.

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Week 1 Picks: Thursday Edition

New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts (-6). Colts to win. Colts to cover.

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Updated Rosters

Current versions of the full Seahawks 34-Category Roster and the easy-to-print Seahawks Numerical Roster are available. The rosters include all of the latest roster moves (cuts and trades) and current injuries.

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First Look: Ellis Wyms

Scouting report according to Scouts, Inc:

Ellis Wyms, left, and Chuck Darby.
Photo: Jim Damaske/St. Petersburg Times.

Wyms is very active, intelligent and fairly athletic. He is versatile enough to play some end in certain situations. He comes off the ball low and very quickly. He takes good angles and plays hard. He can change directions smoothly in space and close on elusive running backs. He is a decent interior pass rusher. He delivers some pop on impact, can unload his hips and has some explosive qualities as a tackler. But Wyms is undersized and prone to wearing down. He is a productive wave tackle and short-yardage end, but he won't hold up to an every-down pounding. He crumbles against double teams. He isn't an athletic, quick-twitch playmaker who can move to end full time. His durability is a major concern with Wyms now as well, as he has only played all 16 games just once in his career.

Scott Audette/Associated Press

The Seahawks signed DT Ellis Wyms in response to the loss of Marcus Tubbs. The Seahawks released DT Russell Davis to make room. That means the team is still carrying only 5 DTs, as well as 5 DEs with the addition of DE Jason Babin.

Ellis Wims has played in 66 games with 9 starts in his six year NFL career, including 8 starts in 13 games last year. Wims finished the year with 5 sacks and 30 tackles. Wyms was scheduled to make $3.9 million this season with Tampa Bay. His agreement with Seattle has not been disclosed, but it is for one year, and will be considerably less.

Russell Davis had $800,000 remaining on his signing bonus which will be a cap hit this year. The team does not have to pay Davis his $1.1 million salary.

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Practice Squad

LB Cameron Jensen, FB David Kirtman, TE Joe Newton, OG Steve Vallos, DE Nu'u Tafisi, CB Kevin Hobbs, WR Logan Payne, WR Jordan Kent

It looks like my first take (before the release of David Greene) was dead-on:

LB Cameron Jensen, FB David Kirtman, TE Joe Newton, OG Steve Vallos, DE Nu'u Tafisi, CB Kevin Hobbs, C Pat Ross, WR Logan Payne

I think the first six are pretty solid. Pat Ross might not make it depending on the severity of his injury. If he doesn't then I would expect it to come down to WR Joe Fernandez, WR Jordan Kent, or OT Kyle Williams.

That almost certainly means the Seahawks will make some other move to bring in a third QB. The team could even be dangling David Greene until a spot opens back up on the roster or a QB suffers an injury.

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First Look: Alvin Pearman

Scouting report according to Scouts, Inc:.

Reuters Photo

Pearman is athletic and runs with good body control and balance. He is competitive and tough. His running style is more quick than fast. He has the vision and instincts to set up his blocks. He is at his best on draws and stretch plays, weaving through traffic and finding a run lane. He is a skilled receiver with good hands. He excels on screens and short dump-offs. He is an aggressive pass blocker who will step up and explode into defenders. He has return ability on both kickoffs and punts. But Pearman is a little small and needs a seam to be productive. He has the lateral quickness to avoid but lacks the speed to separate from defenders in space. He has speed to turn the corner but lacks home run ability. He has trouble matching up as a blocker against bigger defenders.

Pearman was acquired and David Greene was released.

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The new new Roster

Offense (25)
QB (2) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace
HB/FB (5) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Alvin Pearman, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver
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

Defense (25)
DE (5) - Patrick Kerney, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins, Jason Babin
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, C.J. Wallace
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux

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

The Seahawks remedied the 4 runningbacks by adding Alvin Pearman, at the cost of David Greene. I guess that makes Brian Russell the emergency QB for the time being.

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More on Jason Babin

Scouting report from Scouts, Inc.

Photo: Billy Calzada

Babin has good speed, quickness and a nonstop motor. He has some functional strength and flashes the ability to stack and hold the point of attack. He is relentless in pursuit and chases down plenty of plays from the back side. He is a strong tackler. He relies on speed and quickness as a pass rusher. He has an explosive first step off the edge and can bend and close on quarterbacks. He has the active hands to reduce his blocking surface and the quickness to get on the edge of a blocker. But Babin lacks ideal power, athleticism and technique. He has struggled in his conversion from a college defensive end. He often has seemed uncertain when reacting to blocking patterns. He struggles to set the edge against outside runs. He has trouble disengaging from blocks. He has limited pass-rush countermoves and needs more refinement. He is a straight-line coverage player who has marginal lateral quickness and change-of-direction skills. He doesn't play with a lot of awareness or recognition in zones.

He may benefit quite a bit moving from 3-4 OLB back to 4-3 DE.

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Seahawks 53-man Roster

Offense (25)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
HB/FB (4) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver
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

Defense (25)
DE (5) - Patrick Kerney, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins, Jason Babin
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, C.J. Wallace
CB (4) - Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux

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

It appears the trade of Michael Boulware for Jason Babin led to the team keeping 5 defensive ends. It also gave C.J. Wallace a spot on the roster, and he will fill Josh Parry's role on special teams (as oppossed to Herring's as I had guessed), allowing the team to go with only 4 running backs. 52 of 53 ain't bad.

My guess for the practice squad is:
LB Cameron Jensen, FB David Kirtman, TE Joe Newton, OG Steve Vallos, DE Nu'u Tafisi, CB Kevin Hobbs, C Pat Ross, WR Logan Payne

I think the first six are pretty solid. Pat Ross might not make it depending on the severity of his injury. If he doesn't then I would expect it to come down to WR Joe Fernandez, WR Jordan Kent, or OT Kyle Williams. Kent or Fernandez could also easily be on there instead of Payne.

Players cuts: CB Omowale Dada, QB Derek Devine, WR Joe Fernandez, DE Brandon Green, DT Marcus Green, CB DeJuan Groce, CB Kevin Hobbs, CB Pete Hunter, LB Cameron Jensen, WR Jordan Kent, FB David Kirtman, TE Joe Newton, FB Josh Parry, WR Logan Payne, C Pat Ross, TE Leonard Stephens, DE Nu'u Tafisi, DT Eric Taylor, G Steve Vallos, RB Marquis Weeks, T Kyle Williams (Marcus Tubbs was placed on IR).

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Michael Boulware traded

Texans trade Babin to Seattle for Boulware By John McClain:

Injuries forced general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak to be in the market to acquire a veteran safety, and Saturday afternoon, they traded defensive end Jason Babin to Seattle for strong safety Michael Boulware.

Babin, a first-round pick in 2004, had two sacks in preseason and a team-leading five in 2006. The Seahawks want him to improve their pass rush.

Boulware, a second-round pick in 2004, started 10 games last season, including two in the playoffs. The Texans want him to upgrade a position vacated when Glenn Earl suffered a season-ending foot injury early in camp and currently manned by Jason Simmons, who is more valuable as a backup.

This move was likely in response to the excellent play of C.J. Wallace. Boulware had too much value just to cut, so the Seahawks got something in return. It looks like C.J. Wallace will make the team, and that could mean no Courtney Taylor. Or more likely the writing is on the wall for Craig Terrill or Will Herring. Wallace can fill Herring's role on special teams.

Someone commented below that Josh Parry was cut. Perhaps that person knows Parry. If that is true, then I would imagine his spot went to Marquis Weeks or David Kirtman. I would lean toward Kirtman, but he is practice squad eligible, so that could swing things in favor of Weeks.

A final guess:
Offense (26)
QB (3) - Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene
HB/FB (5) - Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, Marquis Weeks
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

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

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

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