New Wide Receiver.... Again

by: Michael Steffes

The Seahawks continue to bring in warm bodies hoping to find a diamond in the rough at the wide receiver position. According to Clare Farnsworth, the Hawks signed former Colts receiver Trent Shelton this morning. Shelton signed with Indy after the draft, but was a free agent again already.

Shelton played college ball at Baylor. Here is a scouting report. Unfortunately Husky fans, Anthony Russo was cut to make space. He has been banged up since midway through the first camp and hasn't been able to show much. END Read More!

Bucs Bring Back Jerramy

by: Michael Steffes

Oh Boy! Nothing like a good Jerramy Stevens sighting to end the work week. The Tampa Bay Bucs have dropped a quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski, which is a miracle in itself, so that they could re-sign Jerramy Stevens.

Not only did Stevens never live up to the hype his first round selection would warrant, but he was a horrible citizen, tormenting innocent victims and neighbors alike. When his contract was up, and the Hawks showed no interest, he celebrated by drinking lots of margaritas, scoring some dope, and driving through Scottsdale. Hope you enjoy the second season as much as the first Tampa. Has he moved there yet? END Read More!

Jimmy Williams: Back in the League

by: Michael Steffes

Many of you should remember former Seahawk defensive back and punt returner Jimmy Williams. He was on the 2005 Superbowl team. He was also one of the DB's that fatefully went down in Tampa week 17 of the 06' season, leaving the Hawks looking for corners off the street. That was the last action he saw.... until now.

The Houston Texans have signed Willimas to help with their own shortage of DB's. The link is to a Mike Sando post at ESPN's Hashmarks. He makes the connection between Ray Rhodes and Jimmy Williams. More importantly though, he gives some insight into Williams time with the Hawks, saying..."The gregarious Williams was extremely popular in the Seattle locker room."

While Williams was with the Hawks, he had 38 punt returns and 4 kick returns for a total of 299 yards. He also had 2 interceptions in 2005. Good luck to you Jimmy. END Read More!

Hawks Add Pair of Hands

by: Michael Steffes

According to the Hawkstorian, over at Seahawks.Net, the Seahawks have made a roster move. They have added WR Chas Gessner, formally of Tampa Bay and the Arena League, and subsequently released OL Chris White.

Gessner is a big guy at 6'5", 215. He has played in one career game, last year with the Bucs. He also gives the Hawks an extra body at a position that is somewhat thinned due to injuries and holdouts.

The Hawks must feel a little better about their O-Line health, releasing White. They expect to have more bodies available come June. White was primarily a center. The team has Spencer, Gray, and Vallos still at that position. END Read More!

Travis Brown....Nice to Know Ya

by: Michael Steffes


The minor roster moves continue. The team added Kevin Brown after cutting Kelly Tavalou, which was reported this morning. Also, according to this ESPN story, the Hawks also parted ways with WR Travis Brown today. In his place will be Joel Filani, a 6th round choice of the Titans last year.

Filani is a 6'2" 210lb WR out of Texas Tech. After being cut by the Titans, he spent time with Minnesota. He is highly unlikely to make the team. A good showing could land him on the practice squad.

I will update the rosters by the end of the night if you are keeping up with such things. END Read More!

Minor Roster Tweak

by: Michael Steffes

After entertaining several players for tryouts this weekend, the Hawks decided to keep one on board. Kevin Brown of UCLA, a 6-2, 290, DT. In order to make room the team released DT Kelly Tavalou.

Brown is pretty solid player. I have had a chance to watch several UCLA games in recent time. He seems to get good pressure from the inside. He will be a long shot to make the Hawks, but he will be a good candidate for the practice squad. He will add some depth to the 3-tech tackles. With Rocky Bernard in the last year of his contract, the team will likely be looking at players in the mold of Brown throughout the season.

No word yet on who else the team may keep, but they released Omawale Dada over the weekend, so they should have an open spot. END Read More!

Womack Signing Confirmed

by: Michael Steffes

Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack resigned with the Hawks, officially this morning. Occasionally (rarely) one of my moments of inspiration holds water. SA predicted this would happen when the draft concluded with no O-linemen being selected.

Womack will return to the Hawks as the ultra-versatile backup. He can play any position other than center on the line. More importantly he boosts the numbers at tackle, with both Walter Jones and Ray Willis possibly not participating in this weekends mini camp.

The team released Jonathan Lewis to make room. Wonder if Lo Jack will be switching numbers now? Good thing I didn't freak out and order his jersey yet.

Special thanks to Danny O'Neil who sent me the info. Here is the link. Lucky SOB gets to watch the Hawks actually play football today! END Read More!

Pork Chop Back In the Fold

by: Michael Steffes

Of course it is not for sure yet, but Clare Farnsworth, who is just churning out the info today, says the talk is that Womack will be the starting left tackle at mini camp tomorrow. I mentioned the team would probably resign him after they failed to draft an offensive lineman. It seems as if it will happen. Maybe Tim Ruskell will let us know, he is scheduled to be on NFL Radio in about 10 minutes. I will provide a summary for all those without Sirius. END. Read More!

Hawks Sign Larry Tripplett

by: Michael Steffes

According to Clare Farnsworth the Hawks have inked three players, including former Husky DT Larry Tripplett. The other two are LB Wesley Mallard and QB Dalton Bell.

I have long been a supporter of the Hawks taking a look at Tripplett. He made his name with the Colts and then signed a big free agent deal in Buffalo, never quite living up to expectations. This could be heavily related to the news that just came out about Marcus Tubbs. Tripplett was one of the more suitable free agents to provide insurance for the Tubbs situation.

Mallard is a former Oregon and NY Giants linebacker who will be a stretch to make the team. END Read More!

Looks Like A Promising Bunch

by: Michael Steffes

Clearly the big hit on the undrafted guys is Jamar Adams. If you have followed the blog you know i am very high on this guy. The University of Michigan coaches used to invite him into coaches only meetings to help with the game plans. He also mentored a very young defense last year that showed great improvement as the season went on.

Two local receivers are on board and will try to earn a spot. Michael Bumpus was an honorable mention Pac-10 player last year after grabbing 70 balls. Anthony Russo from the UW also inked a deal. He is an adequate guy. He is smaller, at 5-11, but did lead the Huskies in catches an yards.

Linemen too(two). There are several guys for the o line. It looks like Dickinson from Houston is a center. That makes sense considering his weight. They also inked a developmental tackle guy in Williams Robinson. He is tall at 6-6, but undersized at 280. He was invited to the combine, so people thought he had pro potential.

Oh the LB's. No Shane Simmons. The Vikings get no love. The Hawks took on Matt Castello from San Jose St. He led the Spartans in tackles two straight years. That is a good sign. He is only 5-11, 225 though, so another undersized lB. They also got David Hawthorne from TCU. 6-0, 225, and he looks nasty. He is working on a Masters degree, so he is obviously a smart guy.

The rest I wasn't able to get much info on. There are 12 in total which is right on par with what I expected. Maybe one or two of this whole group makes the team. But anyway, now we can set the roster before mini camp. I will put it in a spreadsheet and take a look at the positional depth before mini camp starts on Friday. Read More!

Here Is the List

by: Michael Steffes


Danny O'Neil, Seahawk Addicts new favorite beat reporter, has forwarded me the list of the Undrafted Free Agents that the Hawks have signed. Here it is. I will analyze the players in a bit.

Seattle announced they agreed to terms with the following players, who were undrafted free agents: S Jamar Adams (Michigan), CB Donovan Alexander (North Dakota), WR Travis Brown (New Mexico), WR Michael Bumpus (Washington State), LB Matt Castelo (San Jose State), C Dustin Dickinson (Houston), CB DeMichael Dizer (Grambling), LB David Hawthorne (Texas Christian), S Kelin Johnson (Georgia), T Williams Robinson (San Diego State), WR Anthony Russo (Washington) and S Eric Wicks (West Virginia). Read More!

Hawks Adding to O Line Already

by: Michael Steffes

According to this report in the Houston Chronicle, Dustin Dickinson an O lineman from the University of Houston has inked a deal with the Hawks. He is 6-5, but only 275. Here is what the University of Houston site says about him...

One of seven returning starters on the offensive side of the ball... heads into the offseason as the starting right tackle... also can play guard and center if needed... is a tenacious blocker who improves with each snap... has become one of the better run blockers on the Cougar squad... extremely hard worker... 2006: One of only 10 players to start all 14 games, setting a UH single-season record... named All-Conference USA Third Team by the media... picked up Honorable Mention, All-C-USA accolades from the head coaches... starting right tackle for offensive line that helped account for 33.0 points and over 440.0 yards of total offense per game... started all 14 games at right tackle... member of offensive front that ranked No. 1 in C-USA in scoring offense and total offense and No. 2 in rush offense and pass offense... has started 26 consecutive games dating back to the 2005 season... 2005: One of only nine players to start all 12 games... part of a consistent offensive line which started every game... made his first career start at right tackle against Oregon in the season opener... helped open holes for a 1,000-yard rusher and protected a 3,000-yard passer... part of front which helped the offense record more than 5,000 yards of total offense (1,997 rushing, 3,268 passing)... 2004: Played in 10 games as a backup offensive lineman... saw most of his time on special teams... 2003: Redshirted as a true freshman... High School: Selected First-Team, All-District 5-4A at Springtown High School... one of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Area Top 75 recruits... also selected All-Parker County and All-Tarrant County... helped offense generate over 450 yards per game... also picked up Second-Team, All-District honors as a junior in 2001... played for former UH strength and conditioning coach, Erik Slaughter... Personal: Full name is Dustin D. Dickinson... born May 3, 1985... son of Dan Dickinson and Rachel Flemings of Springtown, Texas... enjoys hunting and weightlifting in his spare time... majoring in sports administration. Read More!

Seahawks Sign Punter

by: Michael Steffes

After working out a punter who will be available via draft, or as a free agent afterwords last week, the Seahawks have signed Reggie Hodges. This is according to the staff at Seahawks.net. Hodges is a third year punter who was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2005. Hodges has had stints with several teams including the Eagles and Colts.

While he hasn't really kicked extensively since the 05' season, it is likely he is just being brought in to create a competitive atmosphere in camp. During the 06' season, then rookie Ryan Plackemeier was excellent, leaving the Seahawks to believe they had their punter for the foreseeable future. However, with no competition to push him, Plackemeier underachieved, especially in the consistency department. Hodges addition is the best way to ensure "Fudge" will return to his old form. END
Read More!

Seahawks Sign Safety

by: Michael Steffes

John Clayton and ESPN are reporting that the Seahawks have agreed to terms on a one year deal with safety Omare Lowe. Lowe is a former Husky who has bounced around the league quite a bit. He is getting the veteran minimum and while be lucky to make the team. He was originally drafted by Miami in the 5th round in 2002. Lowe has been a member at some time of the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. He also once previously went to camp with the Hawks.

Thank you to all the readers who alerted me, I was in a dentist chair, not much I could do till now. Thanks for the heads up.

As far as the signing goes, it seems pretty innocuous. The team is adding more veteran experience to a veteran group. What the Hawks need is a young and exciting safety to groom for upcoming years. Maybe that is the other Husky safety, CJ Wallace, or maybe they take one in the draft.

For a scouting report...

Lowe is 29, and has 6 yrs experience
2008 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc.
Grade: 59 | Key
Alert: None

Comment: Lowe has a long transaction history and he has been with eight different teams in his short career. He is a backup free safety who started out his career as a corner. He provides adequate depth at both positions. He has good size, above average speed and he has good upper body strength. He has adequate overall ball skills, he has good leaping ability and he will challenge most jump ball situations. He takes good angles to the ball, he has good range and he is physical and aggressive on run support. He possesses a good work ethic, he plays with a mean streak and he is a reliable tackler. However, Lowe is a better zone player than he is a man to man player. He lacks ideal explosiveness and speed and he does not have the good foot speed for a corner in this league. He does not have good turn and run ability. He is not fluid in his hips, he loses speed in transition and he lacks a second gear to recover. As a safety, he lacks the weight to be a consistent player when line up in the box. He can not anchor the point of attack, he struggles to get off blocks and will get overpower at times. Overall, Lowe is a solid back up who is versatile enough to play and provides adequate depth at the corner and safety positions. He would be only a short term fix as a starter and a reliable special team's player Read More!

Could Mare Get Cut?

I say yes... absoulutely! He has no guarantee to be on the roster. With the rare exception of certain "slaves to the business men" who get big signing bonuses up front, kickers are always in danger of being cut. Especially if they don't produce.

To continue....

Lets say hypothetically, that Mare was given a 1 mil signing bonus. He then say has base salaries of 1.25 each of the next two years. This is a reasonable guess at what the contract may look like. The Hawks would only be responsible for the 1 million bonus if he is cut before camp. It would count against the cap, but nothing else would. Would that be an expensive gamble? Sure for most, but Paul Allen has the deepest pockets in the league. It is worth it if it allows the Hawks to select the kicker they like with out reaching, and then as insurance in case he doesn't perform.

Also, as I mentioned in the previous thread, while Ruskell was in Atlanta, the Falcons carried two kickers. So if it takes a season for the young guy to develop, or they want to ease him in, so be it, Ruskell has proven he is willing to go this route. It is possible that the kicker the Hawks like could be accurate, but have a weak leg for kick offs, thus they would share duties. However, it would seem the Hawks will make a decision on Mare, one way or the other, before the season starts and his deal becomes guaranteed for the year because of his veteran status.

UPDATE--For all those who want a little more (or less) clarity on the subject, or just have a man crush on our GM, like me, here is an interview, done Wednesday with Tim Ruskell. FYI, he suggests they will draft a kicker, and then maybe carry two on the roster for a little bit. Or not. Who knows?

Read More!

Seahawks Get Mare

Reported by Mike Florio at profootballtalk. It is a two year 3.5 million dollar deal. Say what you want, but the final hole on the roster has been filled.

As for Mare, he has a big leg. He was second last season in touch back percentage at almost 29%. He doesn't have the long distance accuracy of Josh Brown, but his kickoffs are substantially better. Think of it this way, rather than winning the game for you in the last second, he helps win the game all the way through by putting the opposing offenses at a disadvantage. The % of a team scoring a touchdown goes down significantly for every 10 yards they are backed up. Plus, this deal is no guarantee he will make the team, although it seems likely, with a rookie possibly on the practice squad. We'll See....

If the Hawks were going to go into the season today, I would feel comfortable that they would finish at least as good as last year. They still have the draft to improve this team. If they find even a couple of quality contributors, they will contend for the conference championship. END Read More!

Good Morning To You, Marcus Trufant

I love waking up to news like this! Marcus Trufant, according to profootballtalk.com, has reached a long term agreement to remain a Seattle Seahawk. The deal is 6yrs 50.2 million. Marcus is receiving 20 million in guarantees and essentially 28 million over the first three years.

Well, obviously, Marcus blinked. And I think he should be commended for it. When Lofa reached his long term agreement, I commented that Marcus would have to figure out whether he was a Seahawk or 10 mil a year CB. Well, he chose Seahawk, and probably in no small part because of the team spirit shown recently by not only Lofa, but Kerney, Grant, Terrill, and Babs. This is going to be a heck of D next year and probably moving forward.

You can see the deal averages pretty close to 8.3 per year. With the first three years paying out 28 million, that is a little more than nine per year. So my guess is that the salaries are pretty fair and Tru got him self a nice chunk of change up front. It will be hard for me to get the info, unless someone reports it, the NFLPA recently changed their website and currently it showing people who have signed elsewhere as Hawks, so who knows if it will have base salaries again. Either way this appears to be a better deal than any of the other recent ones signed by corners.

Oh yeah, and the best news, this is all just in time to sign Olindo Mare, who is in town today. Let the Mare watch begin(god please no). Read More!

More on Chris Cooper

Here you go bmsnyder. Ask and you shall receive...sometimes. Here at Seahawk Addicts we are all about the readers. You want more Chris Cooper, you get more Chris Cooper.

Cooper is 6-5 280. He is kind of a tweener. He played LB for the Cards but will fit into the rotation at DT/DE for the Hawks. He is 30 yrs old and went to college at Nebraska-Omaha. For your scouting report....


First off, here is the ESPN article about his release.

Here is a report by the PI about him from training camp that year.


2007 Scouting Report - Scouts Inc.
Grade: 43 | Key
Alert: None

Comment: Cooper is a journeyman backup player who has played seven NFL seasons. He is primarily a defensive end but will align at tackle on passing downs, but is not a great player at either position. Upon being waived by the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals and did not fare much better in his production in Seattle. He lacks functional strength and power at the point of attack against bigger offensive linemen and is easily engulfed and knocked off balance when playing in the trenches. Cooper is not a speed rusher and struggles getting upfield, though he is a competitor and will not quit. He is not a front-line player who will add overall upgrade value to a team.


Read More!

Hartwig Signs in Pittsburgh

It was rumored that the Hawks had interest in him, but they never made it public, or had him for a visit. The lambs also had interest, so I am glad he went to the Stealers.

In reality, right now, this team didn't need a center, what they need is Chris Spencer and one of the 96 candidates for right guard to respond well to Mike Solari.

So onward we trek further into free agency.... At least we didn't damage our chances at a late round compensation pick next year. How long till Chop re-signs for the vet minimum?

END

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Ellis Wyms Chooses Vikings

And the hits just keep on coming. Actually, this isn't really that big a deal. If Tubbs is healthy, there is little room for him. Hard to imagine Tubbs being fully healthy, but you never know, he should at the least be very rested.

Here is the blog post for those who want to read about Ellis. It is a one year deal.

END





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