| 29 July 2009
I’ve been writing articles on the offensive guard position (coming out in the next couple of days) and profiling some of the offensive linemen recently and I got to thinking about what my perceptions were of the Seahawks strengths and weaknesses going into training camp this weekend. I decided to present a short and sweet list of those areas of strength and the ones that need work in my opinion and then let you Addicts debate the issue. I want to see if you agree with me or have other ideas of where they need improvement and where they’re in good shape.
I broke down the team like this (in no particular order):
Offensive line, defensive line, quarterbacks, defensive backs, running backs, linebackers, special teams, and receivers (including the tight end).
For the purposes of this exercise, I assumed that all of our question marks like Hasselbeck, Kerney, Jones, Burleson, and the injured offensive linemen all come back healthy with no lingering problems.
Here’s my list from the strongest unit to the weakest that needs the most work:
1) Linebackers.
Most will agree that we have a linebacker unit that is expected to be one of the top squads in the NFL this season. Tatupu’s healthy, Hill’s got his contract and is back playing the position where he caused all the damage in 2005 and Curry was the consensus top athlete available in the draft who has shown that he’s the complete package. What more is there to say.
2) Quarterbacks.
Hasselbeck and Wallace form one of the best starting and backup combinations in the NFC and surely are one of the great strengths of this team. It was hard to not put them on top of my list but I felt that the linebackers just edged them out.
3) Receivers.
Hasselbeck probably has the best receivers this season that he’s ever had to throw to. Houshmandzadeh is probably the best he’s ever had as a primary target and Branch and Burleson should be able to take the pressure off so opposing teams can’t afford to double anyone. Butler should be making waves before the season is over giving the Seahawks the best 4 wideouts Hasselbeck has yet been teamed with. John Carlson looks ready to set all of the tight end records before he's through. In fact, I think he almost owns all of them now. This could be the best group of receivers in Seahawk history.
To see the rest of the list, press Read more below.4) Defensive Line.
With the new additions on the defensive line and moving Mebane over to the three tech position, the Seahawks should be able to give Mora what he wants and that’s suffocating pressure from the front four. We finally got our big plug for the middle of the line and with Kerney and either Tapp or Jackson coming from the outside while Mebane demands double teams in the middle, it should be a thing of beauty for us and something butt ugly for the opposing team.
5) Special Teams.
Coutu and Mare should provide a decent kicker after the dust settles on their battle for the position. Uncertainty over the long snapper, punt and kickoff returners, and the fact that Ryan doesn’t seem to have any competition to push him this off-season all contribute to the special teams being ranked 5th best unit for the Seahawks and the fact that they lead off the bottom half of my list. Here’s where I start with units that increasingly need work.
6) Defensive Backs.
Acquiring Ken Lucus should help the defensive backfield get better in 2009 but until I see that Russell can play more like 2007 than 2008 and that Lucas can still cover big fast receivers, I reserve judgment and give the defensive backfield a question mark. I hope to never see another coverage scheme like Marshall’s from last year as long as I live from the Seahawks.
7) Running Backs.
Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett didn’t exactly tear them up last season but with the offensive line problems, who can tell where the problem lies. Lots of fans are concerned about the running game which involves both the running backs and the offensive line. It was more a matter of concluding the offensive line was worse than figuring the running backs were better. I’ll give them a little leeway but I really think we’ll be looking for new blood next season at running back. The fullback is a complete unknown too with Owen Schmitt getting his first serious look.
8) Offensive Line.
I still think they have huge problems in the offensive line. Jones is coming off the most serious injury of his career. Wahle might not even take the field. Sims, Spencer, and Wrotto are huge question marks at their respective positions. The team doesn’t know whether to use Willis as a guard or tackle and haven’t been able to figure it out in 5 years now. Locklear is the only guy you can be relatively certain will man his position and play good. The Seahawks best hope might be it’s rookie guard/center Max Unger. That puts the offensive line with the most question marks and the Achilles heel of the team. I think that the 2010 off-season could become all about fixing the offensive line in free agency and the draft.
Well Addicts, I won’t bore you any other rhetoric. What do you think are the strong and weak parts of our team. Did I get it right and if not, where would you change it up?
Hasta,
BillT
written by Your mom, July 29, 2009
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written by seatowntp, July 29, 2009
By the way, is anyone else finding themselves frequently checking the blog for a headline, "Unger Signs" or "Curry Inked"??? I hope to read both soon!
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written by Seahawk Addicts, July 29, 2009
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written by Pablo, July 29, 2009
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written by hulk, July 29, 2009
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written by Walruz, July 29, 2009
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written by thebeave, July 29, 2009
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written by Lyric, July 29, 2009
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written by LouieLouie, July 29, 2009
Even if the O-Line is not great, if they can use the ZB scheme to generate a half-way-decent running game, Hass and the receiving corps will have a chance to win some games this year.
I am also very optimistic about the Defense this year. The D-Line has been upgraded significantly, and that should spark a return to decency.
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written by HawkOn, July 29, 2009
I see us near the bottom of the NFL at quarterback strenght. Wallace flat out sucks and Hass was satisfactory in his day but realistically, the man never even had a 30 TD season during his prime. Hass is ready to be a good backup, but is near the end of the line as a starter. Ruskell should have considered the immediate future and taken the golden opportunity to draft Sanchez who could be learning to hold the clipboard right now!
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written by Parker, July 29, 2009
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written by nightwulf, July 29, 2009
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written by bleedshawkblue, July 29, 2009
I would rate the strengths similar, especially Seneca - to have that good of a TD to INT ratio behind a 3rd string O line, throwing to 7th string receivers...most NFL starters wouldn't play that good were they dealt a hand that bad. Maybe the Manning boys or Brees, but none of the much-ballyhooed QBs around the league have as thin a supporting cast as Seneca did last year. And most of the really good passers don't have Seneca's wheels. Vick? Puhlleeeeeeezzzzz!!!!
Agreed also on the Dline as injury and performance question marks keep it from rating higher. One of the regular Addicts posted the thought a few months ago that even if the line doesn't provide fantastic push, they can serve the same function as an Offensive line, namely occupying blockers so that the guys behind them can make plays. Thus, if they are merely adequate, good enough will be good enough.
Agreed also on Special teams, but DeHaven and co. will be thoroughly pissed off enough and there is enough influx of fresh talent (see Reed, Taylor plus Hawthorne, Adams etc.) that coverage ought to be better. Not all that worried about Ryan as he had lots of practice last year...I really want to see someone more expendable than Burly and Wilson returning punts and kicks on the Suicide Squad. I also like the idea of trading Mare for cap room and depth elsewhere - Safety perhaps?
As for DBs, as the piece is based on everyone being completely healthy, there is cause for optimism. Lucas was dinged up and less effective last year in Carolina. When he's on, he can be devastating opposite Trufant, and his run support is strong as well. The much maligned Jennings had rib injuries all of last year which made it extremely difficult to keep his hands above his head and to wrap up tackles. I would expect him to look better than his decent 2007 performance as he's a smart guy (Master's degree in 4 yrs while starting for Miami) and will be in the dime package covering 4th receivers. If he makes the cut...trade bait anyone? I am also very excited about the Wilson/Lucas duel for the starting spot and the added depth allowing Wilson to execute the corner blitz. I saw it used effectively last year, but there wasn't enough depth to employ it regularly. As for Russell, I think he was mostly a victim of a scheme that required him to cover too mush territory for his range, plus cover for JP's lapses while Mr. Superstar was busy whiffing on highlight attempts. The change in scheme plus the addition of Curry's range and sound fundamentals in coverage will minimize the liability and allow for him to make enough plays on guts and guile to pull his weight. Also praying for depth at his position like everyone else...
RBs will be a surprising positive this year as both have produced nicely before, have a proven lead blocker in Griffith and a talented, hungry blocker in facemask-busting O. Schmitt and neither have had many hits on their legs lately due to lack of carries. I can see Duckett starting games and wearing down defenses in the first quarter, letting JJ run wild after the D is tired, and smashing them into the ground with Duckett in the 4th quarter. Forsett will make things interesting simply because he is a small target and a strong runner. I thought he did a credible job returning kicks last year as well. I am still looking to pick up some more depth at the position, probably a practice squad player or 2.
Oline is , of course, the biggest question mark. But with Mora's emphasis on conditioning, all the guys playing for a job except Locklear and assuming for the sake of the exercise that everyone is fully recovered from their injuries and will stay healthy, the ZBS will allow them to shine. Last year's breakdowns were an example of the danger of relying on precision timing and flawless execution when not everyone has played together for 5 years or more. The simplified assignments will allow for guys to just fire off and execute the block vs trying to devote their tiny windows of available time to finding their assigned man. When you don't have the luxury of the combined talent and experience we had in '05, you gotta adjust your system to the available talent and experience. Solari has coached up some stellar lines in KC out of mostly average players, and Knapp has squeezed offensive production out of some VERY marginal players.
Conclusion: Much better at ball control on the Offensive side, and fundamentally sound, attacking D. It will make for lots of ugly wins. Any geezers remember the personnel groups in that magical run of '84? A few very solid players (Joe Nash, Keith Butler, Dave Krieg, Dave Brown), a couple of really good ones (Easley, Largent, Jacob Green), and lots of question marks (David Hughes? Bruce Scholtz? Steve August? Terry Taylor?). Won ugly all the way to 12-4 and the AFC title game against Marino and Miami and came within a couple of plays of the Super Bowl. I would grade this year's team as significantly better than those guys.
Ugly wins are still wins.
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written by STTBM, July 29, 2009
Seriously, though--this WR group the best ever is Hawk history?! Um, hardly. Burleson has NEVER been a consistent contributor, and is coming off MAJOR knee surgery, as is Branch--and him for the second time on the SAME KNEE! Branch has yet to make a whole season healthy for us, and may have lost his only redeeming quality, his speed and agility. Housh is aging, and not considered a real threat to stretch the field. What he is, is the most expensive posession reciever ever....Behind those guys we have a rookie WR who weighs TWO POUNDS more than Kelly Jennings and is generously listed at 5'-10" (though I do think Butler will be a great player soon), and after that are a bunch of scrubs, not one of whom has caught 15 passes in a season. Some have never caught an NFL regular season pass! Not even close to being a strength, or the best in Hawk history. Darrell Jackson, K-Rob, and Engram in thier one magical season before Robinsons addiction derailed his career was a much better group, as was Jackson/Engram/Jurevicius/Uhrban in 2005. Thats not even mentioning the 1984 squad with Largent etc....
While its nice to have Burelson and Branch back, at least for training camp, and its great to have Housh no matter how much he costs, it remains to be seen what these guys can do as a group.
I also think the D-line is going to be a bigger strength, and you never even mentioned Cory Redding. My bet is that neither Tapp nor Jackson sees much playing time unless Kerney goes down. I think Redding is going to be a monster at both DT and DE.
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written by GnarlyHawk, July 29, 2009
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written by BillT, July 29, 2009
I stand by what I say about the receivers. I've personally watched every group of receivers the Seahawks have ever fielded play and while there have been some exceptional individual performers, (like Largent, Blades, etc.), remember that I assumed everyone would be healthy and we're talking about the top 4 who play the most. Housh, Branch, Burleson coupled with Butler's potential as a 4th receiver has to rank right up there with the finest group of receivers the Seahawks have ever put on the field.
Branch when healthy is is very aggresive and makes big plays all over the field. Housh is definately the best receiver Hass has ever thrown to (which is what I said). Burleson had a very good year catching 10 TD's the year before he was injured and seemed poised to have a career year. I think he has arrived as a veteran receiver. His speed and elusive ability to make YAC's make him a dangerous man on the field. Many of the Seahawk coaches have touted Butler as having a rare combination of speed and precise route running ability to go along with good hands. It is unusual to have a speed receiver who runs the precise routes a possession receiver runs. He's being called a bonafied polished receiver with speed as opposed to a speedy player trying to become a viable receiver as a lot of speedy receiver types are (see Kent for example). What really takes this group over the top is John Carlson. If you look at all the other wideout groups in Seahawk history, you won't find a tight end anywhere near Carlson's potential in the mix. He set almost every tight end receiving record for the Seahawks as a rookie last season and that should speak for itself as far as comparisons to previous tight ends.
I stand by my statement which was that this COULD be the best receiving corps in Seahawk history and is the best group Hass has seen. No big surprise there.
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written by STTBM, July 30, 2009
I think Blades was a better WR than Housh, simply because Blades had at least 10 excellent seasons playing on lousy teams--with no Carson Palmer or Chris Johnson to take the heat off him.
And for 6 or 7 years, Darrell Jackson was a much better player than Housh. Jackson could do EVERYTHING, even go deep, and he single-handedly won games in 2002-2007 (especially in 04/04) where everyone in the stadium knew Hass was going to him for the first down. Housh has never performed in that situation, and he doesnt have the stats for all the years Jackson and Blades had. That said, as long as Housh avoids the multiple knee injuries that destroyed Jackson, he will play well longer. But he has never been the number 1, win the game guy Jackson was for us.
I never did understand all the hate directed at Jackson for wanting to be the highest paid WR on the team: he earned it. And Deion Brach did the EXACT same thing in New England, which is why we ended up with him. Branch will never have another 1,000 yard or 10 TD season, and he has never had 10 TD's in 10 games, as Jackson did on rickety knees in his last season for us. And Branch drops passes as well, though not as bad as Jackson. Still, Jerry Rice dropped tons of passes, and it didnt matter, because he was still the guy who would win the game on the next play...
Hopefully youre right and these guys have the best year ever. I would love that no end...
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written by Phil N d'Blanc, July 30, 2009
Great job as always Bill! You da Man!
I do have a queazy feeling about our 2 1st round picks next season, since Ruskell has an aversion to taking offensive linemen early in the draft...
And of course, from a pessimistic (draftwise) view, it would really suck if we got to play Denver in the SB.
#31 and #32 oh joy (ghod would I love that misery)
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written by Jeff M., July 30, 2009
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written by BillT, July 31, 2009
The question is though, are they better than the defensive line, quarterbacks, receivers, and linebackers on the current team? Do they need less work than one of the 4 units ranked ahead of them?
I'm not sure that they do.
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