Shaun in Chicago?

by: Michael Steffes

Shaun Alexander may have found his first decent opportunity for work this morning. News out of Austin is that Bears running back Cedric Benson has been arrested for suspicion of DUI.

Normally that isn't enough to open a roster spot right away, but as you will remember, Benson was arrested mere weeks ago for boating under the influence. At the time he claims he treated unfairly by police and pepper sprayed for no reason. Well, Ced, I am guessing the whole drinky and police act is getting tired up in the windy city. I really don't see how they can hold on to this guy much longer. He certainly doesn't have the talent to back up this behavior.

So if you were the Bears, and you needed a vet to mentor Matt Forte, who would you choose? Shaun, or Travis Henry? This could be a good spot for Shaun, even though they have a young line. The Bears are going to run the ball and keep the clock moving, hoping their defense wins them games. We will wait and see, first Benson has to get cut. However, this is the best fit for Shaun thats been out there so far. END Read More!

Shaun Not Signing Soon

by: Michael Steffes

Bucky Brooks, who not only is an SI.com writer, but also use to be a former Seahawks scout, chimed in during his weekly column on why Shaun hasn't found a job. Brooks quotes several scouts as crediting....

"Alexander's astounding production to an ultra-talented Seahawks' offensive line that featured two Pro Bowlers (Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson) and many pointed out that he has "lost a step" in the two seasons following his MVP campaign. "He is a good player, but you wonder how many other runners could've had success behind that line,"

One of the reasons he is having a tough time finding a job...

"As a poor blocker and a marginal receiver, Alexander offers little as a complementary player. Thus, he is viewed throughout the league as a "stop-gap" solution for a team that suffers from a catastrophic injury or has a roster full of underperforming runners during the preseason."

Unfortunately for Shaun, Brooks' assessment is dead on. As much as I wish Shaun the best, part of me wishes he could just see what the rest of the football world seems to and maybe just retire as a Seahawk. I want him to go somewhere and do well, but it will be a shame if he does it only because someone else had their season end early. Read More!

Shaun Alexander: No Offers Yet

by: Michael Steffes

I realize that Shaun Alexander is no longer a Seahawk, and I know the whole situation was a source of contention for most of the offseason. But I still think it is worth chronicling his quest to find a new home.

Shaun took some visits this week, to Cincy and NO, and has returned home to Seattle. As of know, he doesn't appear to have any contract offers, or any future visits set up. The Cincinnati Enquirer, and Mark Curnutte are reporting that the Bengals will be in touch with Jim Steiner, Shaun representative. Mark Triplett of the New Orleans Time Picayune writes that it is hard to gauge the Saints interest in Shaun.

The two things that I am curious about are...1) How much does Shaun think he is worth, per year? And 2) Does Shaun still think he is a feature back? There have always been questions about how grounded Shaun is with reality. It will be interesting to see if he waits around for big money, feature back job. It will be even more interesting to see if it ever comes. END Read More!

Shaun...The Big Easy?

vby: Michael Steffes

Adam Schefter and the NFL.com are reporting that one Mr. Shaun Alexander will head down to New Orleans for visit with the Saints. This will follow his visit to Cincinnati. This obviously brings in to question the health of one Deuce McCallister.

New Orleans seems to be a much better fit for Shaun in some ways. He would be the running back, allowing Reggie Bush to handle the passing downs. The Saints have enough weapons that Shaun wouldn't be the focus of opposing defenses. However, it would seem to me that the Saints would run into a lot of the problems the Hawks have had in recent years. The presence of Shaun on the field telegraphs what the offense wants to do. Until Alexanders interest in the passing game improves, both blocking and receiving, teams will be hard pressed to disguise what they are doing when he is on the field. END Read More!

Leroy Hill's Future With Hawks

by: Michael Steffes

Frank Hughes at the The News Tribune asked some interesting questions yesterday at mini camp. Specifically of Leroy Hill. Apparently, Todd France, Leroy's new agent has pushed Hill's contract negotiations into the background. To Hills credit, he says that he is taking the same approach and just trying to get better.

“I love being up here, I love playing ball here. But I can’t just go out and worry about playing for a contract and whatever. I have to go out and play like I have been playing and improve every year.”

It is hard to get a read on this situation. The team obviously would like to sign Hill to a long term deal, much like they did with Lofa Tatupu and Marcus Trufant this offseason. The problem is that Hill may not want to stay. Whether or not he feels overshadowed or not is something Leroy and his agent have to discuss. He recently switched representation to France. France is the agent who Nate Clements switched to during the season prior to him signing a mega deal in San Francisco. The Hawks have very little linebacker depth behind Hill, so him leaving via free agency next year is defintely of concern to the Hawks.

Leroy seems like he is in no rush to do a deal, which is probably a smart move on his part. If he shows another years worth of improvement he will make himself a lot of money. He has also been bothered by nagging injuries throughout his career at times as well. If those problems arise again, his value could diminish. Hopefully the two parties will find some middle ground and get this done before next March. END Read More!

Hawks Looking At Pro Level, Free Agent Offensive Lineman

by: Michael Steffes

I just got done watching Tim Ruskell and Ruston Websters end of day press conference from yesterday. You can see it HERE, at Seahawks.com.

One thing that I haven't seen anybody else talk about yet is that Ruskell said they will be looking to sign two pro free agent linemen before camp starts.

I made a case for "Chop" yesterday. Here are some others who are worth the veteran minimum. To see....

Shane Olivea, T, 26 years old....He had back problems last year and the Chargers cut him. However, he had been a solid starter for them and is still young.

L.J. Shelton, G/T, 32 years old. I mentioned way back in the free agency previews that this guy is basically another Pork Chop. He as started in this league recently and can play both G and T. Would make a lot of sense to at least take a look.

Fred Weary, G, 30 years old. Weary has been the primary backup for the Texans in recent years. He has gotten significant time. He is pretty good run blocker, but has some problems in pass pro. As a back up or a camp invite, he is a pretty good choice. Weary broke his leg last year, so he would have to be cleared medically first.

Tom Ashworth(less) G/T, Don't worry folks, I am only kidding. Please don't bring this guy back unless it is an absolute emergency!

None of the group would be guaranteed a spot on the team, but considering the relative youth of the back ups, it would make sense to bring them in to camp. I still think Womack is the most likely. Don't be surprised if it is announced soon. Read More!

Pork Chop Reprise?

by: Michael Steffes

First off, I wanted to say what a weekend. I am exhausted. I got limited sleep last night and was posting again by 6am. Pay the price, right? It is not over either. Expect the names of the undrafted free agents to start coming out soon. The Hawks usually sign 10 to 12. I wanted to wait until later and let it all set in before providing an overall opinion on the draft.

However, after the draft, another thing happens. When teams didn't get a chance to address all their needs, this also creates movement on the free agent front. What popped into my mind was a resigning of Pork Chop. He helped the Hawks out last year by adding incentives into his contract. I am sure he was compensated, but regardless, he is a Holmgren favorite and a team guy. The Hawks didn't add to their o line numbers, so I think giving "chop" another one year deal makes sense. Currently, Willis is the only non starter anybody should feel comfortable playing tackle.

Anyway, some of you might have been wondering what happened to Floyd. I think we will find out soon, and hopefully he is coming back for another go with the Hawks. My only worry is that Holmgren will fell obligated to play him. It has happened before. END Read More!

Hill Looking for Payday?

by: Michael Steffes

Just a side note, Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal is reporting that Leroy Hill has hired Todd France to represent him. This is a telling move. It would appear that Hill will be looking to become a free agent after the season.

Todd France took over representation for Nate Clements the year before he was a free agent. that worked out pretty well for Nate. He was also the agent who got Takeo Spikes a big deal several years ago, which is how he kind of made his name.

How do I know so much about Todd France? Well, he, along with Tim Ruskell, and several of the Seahawks drafted in 2005, are all main characters in the book, "The Draft", by Pete Williams. Something I would recommend you check out if you want to get inside the psyche of all the parties involved in an NFL Draft. END Read More!

Will Leroy Sign Long Term?

There is a nice little piece that was posted at Profootball Weekly yesterday talking about the Seahawks recent signings of Pro Bowl defenders.

However, the article does create a little concern, when it implies that Leroy Hill may be a little harder to lock up. To quote the article...

“Hill could be an interesting case,” a team source told PFW. “Because he has been so overshadowed by Tatupu and Julian Peterson in Seattle, he could be a guy who just might want to test the market when the time comes.

It seems that Leroy may want to find a spot where he can take top billing. This is understandable. He defintely is overshadowed by the two other linebackers. Hopefully though, Hill will realize that not only is the grass rarely greener when leaving an organization like the Seahawks, but Julian Peterson will not be around for ever. He would be the heir apparent to the spot of pass rushing specialist from the linebacker position.

The draft will probably tell us a lot about the signals the team is getting from Leroy and his representation. If they go linebacker high, we can expect that Leroy is more interested is being the top dog, than keeping one of the better position groups in all of football together. END Read More!

Denver Serious About Mare

Just thought I would update the kicker situation. According to this article by Lee Rasizer or the Rocky Mountain News, the Bronco's offered Olindo Mare a contract.

There are several items of note in the article. First, it would appear that Denver kept Mare in town most of yesterday putting on a full court press, (mixing sports analogies, bonus points) trying to get him to sign. No worries, the Hawks were probably a touch busy yesterday anyway. Mare got on a plane yesterday afternoon and headed to Seattle.

Second, the article says that the Seahawks have been in touch with Mare since it was apparent Brown was going to walk. Huh? Well, I guess this is the vet kicker we want. It seems if the idea of having Mare be the kicker is growing on some of you, and I would say I feel the same way. Kickers are kickers. If you want more proof, read this. The Mile High Report just did an analysis much like our Chris Sullivan which showed Elam is easily replaced too. The question now, is who is replacing their kicker with Olindo Mare?

END Read More!

Seahawks Sign Two

According to Danny O'Neil and the Seattle Times, the Seahawks are bringing back some old faces. They have signed D.D. Lewis to fill the reserve linebacker role, and Chris Cooper to help solidify the D Line rotation.

These are some interesting moves. I wonder how much they will be counting on either of these players. The good news is that both should know the system. However, it would seem that both are in danger of losing their roster spots depending on how the draft goes.

No word yet on whether or not Olindo Mare will make it out of Denver with out a contract. Read More!

Good Linebackers Still Available

When Seahawk's stalwarts like Kevin Bentley and Niko Koutouvides departed early in free agency, many of us started to rightly worry about linebacker depth. However, it appears the team was right not to rush into anything, as good linebackers still remain available late in free agency.

I thought I would depart from draft stuff for a minute to take a look at who the Hawks could still acquire in free agency that would help them....

The Linebackers

1) Ian Gold... I thought for sure that he would have gotten a deal by now. I know for his last contract he represented himself, so maybe he is still doing that and it is slowing the process. Gold did not excel as a starter in Denver and thus was replaced this season by new free agents. However, he is still a good player who could back up every linebacker position. Also, early in his career he was selected to the Pro Bowl as a special teamer, so he could be a leader there.

2)Caleb Miller.... Caleb supposedly came and visited the Hawks. He got pretty significant playing time when healthy in Cincy, however he does seem to be a bit injury prone. He is likely holding out waiting to see if he can get a starting job. However, it was said he is a willing special teamer, and might be ready to be part of a much different culture in Seattle. I put out some feelers to see what happened with his visit, so maybe I can find out how it went and if the Hawks are really interested.

3)Victor Hobson.... A personal favorite of mine. A good linebacker coming out of Michigan, who had a promising career derailed by the Jets switch to a 3/4 defense. He just wasn't as effective as an OLB in that system and now has been replaced by high price guys. However, I don't suspect the Hawks will be running a 3/4 anytime soon, so he could be a playmaker off the bench, especially if he is willing to cover kicks.

The Others

4) Larry Tripplett.... hasn't made much noise in free agency since being released by Buffalo. However, I think he would be a good fit here. He played his college ball for UW. While not a premier DT anymore, he would excel as a member of the rotation. The more draft work i do, the more I think it is Trevor Laws or bust. Almost every other mid round DT in the draft has character issues or a questionable motor--two things that usually make the Hawks say thanks, but no thanks.

5)Olindo Mare... People have made the case on this one both ways, but one thing that can't be dismissed is that he has ability to lead the league in touchbacks every year. That was one of the teams big complaints with Brown. With the team likely to have a lot of new personal on special teams, a few extra touchbacks would help. And who knows? Maybe he regains his form and becomes a decent kicker again too. It would certainly cost us all a few gray hairs I suspect though.

6) Aaron Elling, K, previously with Cincy.... Elling is a like a younger version of Mare. His strength is in kicking off. He has a huge leg. He can also punt in a pinch. His FG kicking needs a little work though. Thankfully he has had plenty of time to practice since he hasn't been a full time guy since 2003 and hasn't attempted a field goal since 05'. Uh Oh? Can you say rookie kicker? Read More!

Mare to Visit Hawks

According to Mike Florio at Profootballtalk.com, Olindo Mare, K, formerly of the Saints and Dolphins is making a west coast trip. As part of this he is scheduled to meet with the Hawks.

Mare's season last year was simply awful. In fact, that is being generous. He was kicking in a dome and made just above 50% of his kicks. Unless the idea is for a minimum deal with only a promise to compete for the job, I don't see the value. What is does appear though, is from here on out the Hawks and Broncos will be battling for kickers. END Read More!

How About Some 08' Optimism

With the 4th week of free agency beginning, and the draft still lurking more than a month away, the offseason is hitting lull. It is hard to get a good read on how good this team will be because many of the weaknesses of last year still need to be worked on.

According to Pat Yasinskas, the Seahawks may have gotten the steal of free agency.

"Who's going to be the most productive free agent? Seattle running back Julius Jones."

It is good to hear this prospective coming from someone who doesn't reside in Kirkland. Now, if Ruskell can just get the best TE of the upcoming crop, the Hawks will really have something. It would be nice to see an offense that goes 80 yards for scores on a regular basis again.

Also considering the article is entitled 3rd and Short, it would be nice if that was given again too!

END



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The End is Near

Looks like the time is coming to doll out the gear to the DJ Hackett contest winner.

According to the Charlotte Observer, DJ will choose a team soon.

Here is the take from the Rock Hill Herald. Darin Gantt seems to be backing off his previous notion that Hacks east coast swing was all for leverage.

I am kind of in the middle of dinner commitment, but I wanted to pass this along. Most of it has already been said, but I wanted to let you know it was out there. I'll be back later....play nice. END

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Confident in Carolina

Here is another take on Mr. DJ Hackett returning home to Seattle. Charles and Stan from Inside the Panthers note that this is following the pattern of all the previous free agents who have signed in Charlotte.

The story from the other local paper yesterday hinted that his visits were mostly for show and that Seattle had the upper hand. It is nice to see competing view points coming from the right coast.

My thoughts are that Tim Ruskell has a length and value he is willing to give DJ. If Carolina offers more that that, then it will be up to DJ to decide which coast he wants to play on. While many remain unsure of the young WR's, their mere presence on the roster creates leverage for the Hawks. END.




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Meet Justin Hartwig

According to KFFL.com, Jason Murphy of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Seahawks are interested in former Panther center Justin Hartwig.

I know that is kind of a lot to digest, and if I could find any other source, I would be providing you something more substantial. However, it at least provides an interesting topic of discussion.

The interest in Hartwig could mean two things. First, it is possible the team will ask, or Chris Gray has decided to retire. The team would then be in need of someone besides Spencer to who can play center. The second thing this could mean, is that maybe the team feels Spencer is better suited at guard, where he doesn't have to make all the line calls. Spencer could then slide into the roll of guard/backup center.

Adding Hartwig would certainly provide another veteran presence on an important position on the line. Also, he and Mike Wahle are obviously familiar with each other. While Carolina's line wasn't anything to sing about last year, that could change with Mike Solari and Walter Jones added to the mix. Finally, I know the Lambs fans want this guy bad, so if he signed here it would deeply upset them, which I have no problem with.

That was a lot. If you want a scouting report from Scouts Inc.....

2007 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc.
Grade: 65 | Key
Alert: I

Comment: Hartwig is strong, versatile and fairly athletic. He plays big and could fill in at guard. He has good initial quickness and understands body position and angles. He is smart, instinctive and efficient. He can handle the calls and adjustments on the line. He is a solid technician who can get position and wall off. He stays balanced and in control when slipping off combo blocks to get to the second level. He can short pull, then locate and hit moving targets. He can slide and mirror off short pass sets. He has strong, active hands. He plays with awareness and reacts well to zone dogs and stunts. But Hartwig is tall for a center and doesn't play with ideal leverage. He isn't very explosive and fares best using angles instead of drive blocks. He sometimes struggles to maintain pocket depth against bull rushers. He had been durable before spending most of 2006 on injured reserve (groin).





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Hackett Is Coming Home

With out a contract. Here is the entry from Darin Gantt at the Rock Hill Herald about the situation.

He seems to think that DJ's trip out east was just for show and that he is trying to come up with a figure for the Seahawks to match.

I don't know what the Panthers offered if anything, but John Clayton said on KJR this morning that the Redskins only offered him a deal for the veteran minimum and Tampa didn't make him an offer at all. Hopefully the front office can work something out with him, because the complete lack of serious interest in him this offseason may be just the thing he needs to tough it out a little more. If he stays on the field, I truly believe he has pro bowl potential.

By the way, just for you interest, for all those who entered, the lowest offer submitted in the contest was 3.25. There was also a 6.4 above that. Those are looking pretty good right now. For those with much larger offers, if it is any consolation, I thought he would get PAID too. END

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Read More!

One Year Deals....Flavor of the Day

Well, all in one day, three of the bigger names left in free agency all signed one year deals.

Bryant Johnson, Derrick Ward, and Eugene Wilson

What does this mean for the Hawks?? Well, first it is clearly an indication that the money is beginning to dry up for the players left on the market. A lot of them may want to play their way into bigger deals next year. The obvious hope is that DJ comes back on a similar deal.

Also, Ellis Wyms deal never seemed to get finalized as expected. He could return on a one year deal. That would be great for the Hawks because of his versatility.

This is Tim Ruskell time folks. Good teams find solid contributers in the back end of free agency. There are a handful of gems still out there on the market. Lets hope Tim Ruskell has the eye and the funds to get a few on to the team.

Also, I apologize if the blog has been slow today. It is 80 and sunny here in So Cal, and I ain't got no school for three whole weeks, baby! END.... Read More!

Hackett Escapes Tampa

DJ Hackett appears to have escaped Tampa Bay with out a contract. Here is the Panthers beat writers blog post that confirms he is in Charlotte.

In a way this is good, as Tampa easily had the most money to offer by far. However, it is Carolina and Seattle who are the favorites, unless some one else gets in the mix.

Adam Caplan on the Scout.com network wrote....

"Hackett's preference is to re-sign with Seattle. As of Friday, Carolina an Seattle are looked at as the two front runners for his services."

Read More!