What a Difference a Year Makes

by: Michael Steffes

Over the last half decade or so, Seahawk fans have gotten pretty used to turnover on defense. The team struggled for years on that side of the ball. That makes improvements necessary. Since the Superbowl year of 2005, however, you could argue that it was the offense letting the team down. This has led to big changes on the offensive side of the ball this year. To take a look....



As you can see in the chart, this unit is going through a tremendous amount of change. There will be 6 different starters than the group that came out of camp. There is a total of 7 changes, with Sims moving to the right side. That of course, is assuming he holds the job. The biggest turnover is in the skill positions. Both running backs have turned over, as have two of the three WR positions. Part of that is due to injury, but regardless new guys will be opening the season as starters. This also brings to light how important the retention of Sean Locklear was. Turnover would be at a near absurd level had he signed somewhere else.

If we think back to last year, there was much less change. Three players had new spots. DJ Hackett was replacing Darrel Jackson, Pollard was replacing Jerramy Stevens, and Sims was replacing the oft injured Womack, who started 06' as the left guard.

It is a big jump from three changes (27%) to 7 changes (64%). This unit will benefit from spending a whole training camp together and healthy. Lets hope they can get the bumps and bruises mended before OTA's begin again in June.

Now lets compare this to the defense, shall we...



You can see right away the stability of this unit. There are only two changes. And only one of them is for sure. Even the one change from the start of last season is relatively minor when you consider that Mebane became the starter early in the season and held that position. Overall this unit, for the first time really, is going to be allowed to benefit from continuity.

Lets look back to the start of last season. It would look much like the offense does this year. Both safeties were new. Patrick Kerney was new. Tapp was announced as the starter over Fisher right before the season, so he was new. Jennings was taking over a starting spot for the first time, and that was moving Marcus Trufant over to the left side. Plus, because of the injury to Tubbs, Chuck Darby had become a starter. That is 6 new starters with 7 changes to the lineup, 67% turnover. The same as this years offense. This year the team will have at most two players beginning the season in the Hawks starting lineup for the first time. That is 18%. If Tapp remains the starter, and Jackson is a supersub, then that number drops to 9%!

There has been a lot of talk about the Hawks improving their defense. They certainly have improved the depth. But with Holmgren challenging defensive coaches to improve the play on the road, it is possible this would have happened anyway through continuity. A little emphasis on that won't hurt though.

All of this is good news for Hawk fans. No unit suffers from playing together for an extended time. That was one of the reasons the 2005 offense was so great. This year it certainly seems the defense should be the star unit while the new offense gels together, hopefully creating another deep playoff run.




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Seahawk Addicts Depth Chart

by: Michael Steffes

I thought since we are starting up mini camp tomorrow it may be appropriate to come out with a Seahawks depth chart. To be perfectly honest, I tried not to over think the actual positional rankings so far. I really just wanted to put it together so that it would be easy to update as we go through the summer. So here you go, have a look. I am up for any suggestions on it. I plan to keep it in a perpetual state of motion until jobs are set. Also, you can find a link to it in the right hand column with the rosters. END. Read More!

Put On the Pads Boys

by: Michael Steffes

Well, not quite yet. I think mini-camps are usually done in shells. But the point is that we have made it through the tough stretch, football starts tomorrow. In previous years, just so you know what to expect, the rookies arrive today and get their numbers. That doesn't mean they won't change again after the final 53 is set, so hold of on the jersey ordering for now.

Over the weekend, the full group will practice, usually two a days on Sat and Sun. Then, rookies leave. The team holds a voluntary veteran mini camp Mon-Thur. Expect their to be a high participation rate from this bunch. Camp closes on Thursday.

So as the players get together and start playing football, the next thing to look at is who is going to make the team. Position battles are the fun part. I though we would start by looking at where quality depth will creating some good competitions to watch. Check it out.....



As you can see, to start, I have created a chart looking at the number of players the Hawks kept, coming out of camp, over the last 5 years. Over the last two years the offense and defense have been evenly split at 25. In prior years the team kept more offense, only because that is where the talent was. This is a much more balanced team. One thing you notice, is that the team hasn't kept more than 3 specialists.

So that leads to the first big competition. The kicker. I made the assertion yesterday that the team might keep two kickers. However, with the number of quality players they have at other positions, I am sure they would prefer to only keep one. So lets find out who it is. Both of these players should be motivated. If Mare is cut he loses his payday, Coutu will want to make a name for himself in this league. Kicking updates all summer! Yes!

Another position that clearly has a spot is linebacker. The team has consistently kept 7 at the position. Once even 8. The team has 6 at best that should be on the roster, and that counts DD Lewis, which after last year is debatable. They signed career special teamer Wesley Mallard yesterday, he could have an edge. The UDFA rookie class at LB was nothing to write home about, so we will have to wait and see what the team thinks of these guys.

Running Back is an interesting case too. The team did once keep 6 running backs in opting to carry only 8 o-linemen back in 03'. Since the team opted not to draft a linemen, and assuming none of the practice squad guys from last year seems ready, it is a possibility they could go this route again. The team could easily stock the practice squad with undrafted linemen.

At WR, I would say the team seems poised to keep 5, with Branch on the PUP to start the season. That would keep all of the kids safe from the grasp of other teams, however, with depth all around, the team may choose to go with 4 again, at least until Branch returns. Lets see how they preform in camp, Kent may force Ruskell to keep him, especially with his speed.

Safety is an interesting position because we were privy to what the team told Jamar Adams. That all the back up jobs are open. The team obviously wants to add some youth at this position. Adams, Kelvin (UDFA GA), Wallace, and Green are all going to be battling hard. To confuse things, if a corner steps up, Babineaux make take one of the spots. Being a good special team like Wallace was last year will help the young guys.

Finally, I will mention D Line. Everybody's favorite positional group these days. It is a good thing the team has shown a willingness to carry 10 in recent years. An interesting battle to watch could be Babin and Atkins. While Atkins is a Ruskell pick, Babin is a former first rounder fighting for his career. At tackle, somebody with talent is going to go. Mebane, Bernard, Bryant, Terrill, Tripplett, and Tubbs would be 6. That leaves Chris Cooper and Howard Green on the outside, but don't count out Cooper, he has earned his way on to this team before. It is also possible that the someone will find their way to the injury list, complicating things.

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The Final 53?

by: Michael Steffes

After putting up the roster yesterday, I have gotten some requests to already starting coding it by who I think will be on the team. Instead of doing that, I just thought I would take my stab at the who the 53 man roster would be if everybody stays healthy. This way you all can chime in and give your opinions as well.

Just.....

Quarterbacks...

The team is going to keep three, and they are all on the roster currently,
Matt Hasselbeck
Seneca Wallace
Charlie Frye

Running backs....

The team usually keeps 5. This year may be a bit a different. With all the turnover it is possible they will increase that.

Mo Morris
TJ Duckett
Julius Jones
Leonard Weaver
Owen Schmitt
Justin Forsett

Wide Receivers.....

Deion Branch (PUP)
Bobby Engram
Nate Burleson
Ben Obamanu
Cortney Taylor
Logan Payne

Tight Ends...

Carlson
Putzier
Heller

Big Nasties.....

Walter
Wahle
Spencer
Sims
Locklear
Willis
Wrotto
Gray

Total Offensive Players = 25

Defensive Tackle

Mebane
Bernard
Tubbs
Bryant
Terrill

Defensive End

Kerney
Tapp
Jackson
Atkins

Linebackers

Tatupu
Peterson
Hill
Herring
Laury
DD. Lewis
David Hawthorne?

Corners

Tru
Jennings
Wilson
Babineaux

Safeties

Grant
Russell
Adams
Wallace

Specialists

Plackimieir
Mare
Coutu
Schmitt

All of these projections are based on the average number of players at each position over the years. There are a few deviations. WR is one less, so that RB can be one more. O line sometimes has 9, but I put the extra kicker on because our special teams are so inexperienced. Mare's leg will help coverage teams, and Coutu can get his feet under him in the league. What do you think? Read More!

Roster Heading Into Mini Camp

by: Michael Steffes

Ok, folks, I have created a roster. Now, I am having several issues. First, I haven't found a format in which i can load up the actual excel file so that you all can download it if you want. Also, I am not as excel savvy as I once was and I am having some issues doing everything I want with it. If you are an excel jedi master, please email me.

On to the roster. I have it available for you to view here. I didn't go nearly as elaborate as say a Sando would. But some of his categories seemed excessive. If there is anything that you think absoulutely needs to be added, tell me. The excel file allows all the categories to be sortable. I am working on having positional group totals and averages. Hopefully I can make that available soon. I have made this available (that wasn't so hard) for download. This is going to be a work in progress. But for now, you get what you get. Enjoy.

Also, the roster links have replaced the list of draft visits and interest, underneath the countdown widget, in case you want to find it in the future. END. Read More!

Round By Round: The Final Numbers

by: Michael Steffes

I am not sure how this post is going to work out, and to be perfectly honest the numbers are mostly what you would expect, but I wanted to experiment for further use.

I have taken the roster information, which throughout the week I used to go round by round looking at the current Hawks, and added some statistics such as TD's, Tackles, Sacks, Pro Bowls, and Starts. These were last years #'s, so simply put, this is what the team got out of players picked from certain rounds LAST year. Also, there are no definitive stats for O linemen, other than starts, so this analysis devalues their contribution in many ways, but that will be addressed.

In using these numbers I was able to put a lot of the info into graphs so that you could view the results of the analysis in an easily viewable format. Now, I am just hoping blogger makes it do-able. Any graph or chart can be clicked on to view as larger image. So here we go....

To begin with, I set out in this analysis looking mostly to pass time till the draft. I expected, as I am sure many of you would, that the higher a player is drafted the better player he is. Often people use the rare case, such as Antonio Gates, as examples of why not to take players in the top of the draft. Well, the numbers suggest that the top of the draft is where the impact players do come from. At least on the Seahawks. I would also be remiss to mention that this is an incredibly small sample size, looking at only one team, but in this instance I didn't have the time to use the whole NFL, and really we are only interested in the Hawks.

To begin with lets look at the starting line up. What rounds does the team get the most starts of?

As you can see, over half of the pie is taken up by first and second rounders. This reinforces the importance of the first day. However, one thing that is interesting here is the number of starts that the team got from undrafted free agents (8th round). In nearly equals the contribution of the third rounders. To me, this sheds light on to why the team emphasizes these players during the month leading up to the draft. While many of us say "ho" hum" every time we hear of another low profile guy coming for visit, the team places importance on this and it has paid off. The are getting good production from undrafted free agents. You can see the totals of these positions better here in the bar graph....


Notice here that the Seahawks are getting their most starts from the 2nd round. Moving down from #25 into the second would allow Tim Ruskell to draft twice in the round he has had the most success.

Now it is important to recognize the difference between a starter and a quality starter. So where do the superstars come from? Lets look at this bar graph which depicts the pro bowls per draft round....


If you notice there are only two bars on the right side of the graph. The sixth round is represented by Matt Hasselbeck's 3 pro bowls, and the 8th (UDFA) is represented by Olindo Mare's 1 pro bowl. We all know that kickers are rarely taken in the top rounds, and I think many of you would consider Matt Hasselbeck's success from the sixth rare. Of course if we broke down the Patriots, they share a similar phenomenon, another connection between the two teams successes. Anyway, back to the graph. You can see that the pro bowlers mainly come from the first and second round. This says to me that while you can be a quality player if taken in the late rounds, really that rare athletic ability and college stardom that make a player a high pick are also what makes a player more likely to reach the highest level of success in the pros. So what position do we need a pro bowler at? Tight end would help? It would seem taking a 2nd rounder, which has been speculated to death, is the right choice. Also, as you will see upcoming, that round is where the touchdowns come from too.

Lets look now at how draft position actually correlates with statistical success. Here is a large chart you may want to click on that is a table of correlations. If you don't understand it don't worry, I will explain the numbers. The important thing to know is that the #'s with the * next to them are the ones that are statistically significant. This means they can used to make general assumptions. The others don't provide that because anomaly wasn't strong enough.


What you can see right off that bat is that the universal stats to both units, pro bowls and starts both have a negative correlation with draft round. On offense pro bowls have a -.381 value and starts have a -.561 value. On defense, pro bowl list at -.440 and starts at -.580. What this means is that as the round value goes down (closer to 1) the number of pro bowls and starts go up. Because these correlations are significant, we can assume that this would be a pattern you would see through out the league. When you break down the units, you see that on offense round doesn't have a significant correlation with touchdowns. The reason for this is because the team has found a lot of scoring from second and third rounds. You can see that better, here, in this bar graph....


Also of note here is that I didn't include touchdown passes, which is why the sixth round has no touchdowns. Had I included that, it is possible that there would have been a positive correlation, meaning the higher the round the more touchdowns. My feeling is that adding TD passes would have created a false number because most teams did not get a pro bowl QB in the sixth. When you look at this graph, also notice that the Hawks get their scoring from the 2nd and 3rd, along with the 7th and undrafted guys. To me this means that often the first rounders are used on defensive guys (which we know to be true) and the mid rounds is where the team likes to address the line. When looking at the fourth rounders we saw a large population of linemen in the fourth. This is why I said their contributions are devalued in this analysis. Because it is hard to judge a quality linemen from late rounds compared to a skill position. There are no real stats to do so.

Back to the correlations. Defensive statistics show some significant correlations as well. Both sacks(-.419) and tackles (-.478) are notable numbers. Again, what these numbers mean is that as the draft round gets lower(1st or 2nd), the number of sacks and tackles go up. This is backed up by what we saw in the daily looks, the Seahawks have found some special defensive players that were taken at the top of drafts. If you look back, a large portion of the defensive starters were taken in rounds 1 and 2. So what can we take from this? It makes complete sense that the Hawks use their first rounder on a defensive player despite the need for offense, because they have gotten better scoring production from the 2nd and 3rd rounds. That means that this draft sets up well for the Seahawks to dramatically improve both sides of the ball in the manner in which they have done it before. Here are the the bar graphs that show the tackles and sacks.

As you can see, both tackles and sacks are heavy on the first two rounds, but the difference between the two charts is again the 8th, or undrafted guys. To me this shows that pass rushers need to be addressed early. A team can get some general defensive production from the late rounds/free agents, but rarely do the get the sacks from there. We all know how the Seahawks defense thrives by creating pressure, and when you consider that the team brought in a lot of DT prospects who look to be late round guys, it could be they are thinking defensive end in the first. It would make sense compared to how things have worked out among the current Seahawks. Interesting to look at for sure.

Hope you enjoyed this analysis. Like I said, it really just supports what a lot you, including me, would suspect is par for the course. However, often numbers don't support what we believe, so it is fascinating to get the empirical proof. Now when you say D line in the first and TE in the second, you can sleep well knowing that those rounds fit according to where the Seahawks have done well from. Lets go get some more pro bowlers on Saturday, right!


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Second Round Studs

by: Michael Steffes

After a brief respite yesterday due to all the excitement, I am bringing back the final three pieces of the round by round roster analysis. You may be asking...three? Well, yes. I have entered in a very limited amount of roster data and stats into a program used for statistically analyzing data, so on Friday I am going to provide an in depth summation to the series. I am sure you are all pulling your hair out already!... or is that because it seems like an eternity until the Seahawks make their first pick?

Oh well, pass the time with this. Here is the second round breakdown.....



The first thing that you may notice is that we have exceed the 5 player average that has been pervading the previous rounds. This would be the first indication that first day picks tend to stick around longer. Something to also notice though, is that an inordinate amount of these guys were signed or traded for, so it could just be because only looking at one team represents a small sample size. The Hawks may just have liked free agents who happen to come from the second round. Maybe second rounders have better attitudes?

YOUNG GUNS

Josh Wilson, the top pick last year for the Hawks, will be an interesting case to watch this year. He is clearly going to have a lot to show. His shining moment last year was his return TD against the Rams. He was banged up a lot and he has a hard worker in Jordan Babineaux to climb over on the depth chart. However, the mere financial investment may make him the Hawks nickelback . Lets hope he is up for the challenge.

Darrel Tapp, a prime example of what to possibly expect from Wilson. The 2nd rounder from the year before improved dramatically in his second year. His shining moment also came against the Rams, as he terrorized Mark Bulger on a soggy Sunday last year. I think most of the Seahawks fans, and the Seahawks brass would like to see a little more consistency this year. If we do, the defense will be a unit to be feared.

RUNNING AWAY

Two of the key cogs in the revamped run game came from the second...

Julius Jones, basically an unknown quantity. Some are predicting him as one of the better free agent signings. Some feel he is an underachiever. One thing that most do agree on though is that his presence will improve the passing game. Considering that is the strength of this team it seems his addition will make for a more well rounded backfield.

Mo Morris. Mo actually had his best year as a pro last year. He set career highs in almost ever statistical category. His role on the team upcoming is undetermined. It is possible that if the Hawks find a franchise back he will become trade bait. If he stays though, he will be the one back with an intricate knowledge of the system. He has proven to be a reliable back up and a great change of pace back. If he gets a role as part of the rotation, and considering it is a contract year, Morris could be looking to improve on his personal highs again in 2008'.

CATCH THIS

Along with the two running backs, two Seahawk receivers also came from this round. Neither of who were drafted by the Hawks.

Deion Branch, who outlived his 2nd round pick by being traded for a first rounder two years ago is a former Superbowl MVP. He also has an injured knee and may miss the first half of the season. Branch has been capable when on the field, the problem has been staying healthy. 2008' looks to be another year in which he will almost certainly not play a full compliment of games. When he does get in though, this will be his third year in the system, so he may be capable of providing a late season spark and being an effective target in the playoffs. Assuming the Hawks are there.

Bobby Engram. Oh sweet Bobby. A second round pick practically given up on by the Bears. Yet here he is at the mature age of 35 playing at a pro bowl level. He is Matt's security blanket. He is also on the last year of his deal and possibly his career. Even more of a reason to get the young guys some experience this year. Bobby, all of us are keeping our fingers crossed for one more good year and to send you out a winner.

SOLID PROS

Mike Wahle. Wahle has one pro bowl under his belt and has been consistently solid. He has rarely missed games, and this year he will be counted on to open some holes in Seattle again. There are some questions as to whether or not he has lost his strength, but the early word was that he was impressive during the off season conditioning. Either way, his toughness and attitude should help to bring some fire to the bellys of the other line men.

Deon Grant. What a difference a year makes, huh! After the safety position was an unmitigated disaster in 2006, Grant was brought in to solidify the position. Things started out well. He was named captain in his first year here. Along with that, he helped make the secondary one of the strongest units on the team. His veteran leadership figures to again be his strength. Lets hope he can stave off losing a step for a few more years. Who knows? Maybe this is the year that the league wakes up on Roy Williams and Grant makes a pro bowl.

ALL TIME 2ND ROUND STUD

Loooooofa Tatuuuuuuuuuuupu! Can't you just imagine the PA announcer introducing him here? Do you invision him waving the 12 flag too?

Since the moment Lofa came to Seattle, as a reach I might add, he has been a model Seahawk. All the way from his Pro Bowl rookie season, to his signing of a team friendly, Seahawk for life deal. What will inevitably be known as Tim Ruskell finest pick, he moved up and selected the true definition of an impact player from the second round. Call me when Lofa doesn't make the pro bowl. He is one of the most respected players in the league, but almost an afterthought by ESPN. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is exactly how he had it planned. Seriously, can I get a Lofa Fathead yet?

The second round is going to be a huge pick for the Seahawks this year. In fact, their are indications they may find a way to choose twice in the second. When you consider that a good number of playmakers, on both sides of the ball have come from this round that would be a good thing. I am sure Atlanta would love to have Timmy and his second round success rate this year, considering they have three picks. Sorry Falcons, he is all ours, and we expect another star from the second Ruskell!

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Is Three the Key?

by: Michael Steffes

Lets take a brief respite from all the depressing talk about Rocky, and move back to the daily series of looking at where players were drafted. Clearly the other topic will be sorted out as things like this take their natural course.

Something else that takes its sweet time is the draft, and I can't wait to waste an entire weekend with it. One thing i will miss though, is the third round being day one. I understand the logic behind the change, but the third always seemed so crucial to me. Well, now we get a look at why. Here are the current Seahawks who were third round picks.......



The first thing that one notices about the third round is that many of the players here are serious building blocks. While a pick here or there from the previous rounds had found that status, every pick here could be argued as one.

WELL, NO, NOT YOU

Ok, so many of you should be scratching your head and saying Charlie Frye...building block. And you are right in some ways. Well Frye has become a third quarterback in Seattle, he was going to save Cleveland just two short years ago. They certainly considered him a building block then. So what does it say that TR was able to get him for a 6th. I think it was a shrewed move. John Clayton often talks about Frye's value. But here is the thing. We don't know what we have. And we won't until he gets to lead the team in the second half of the last preseason game. Of course the better he shows, the more valuable he will make himself when he becomes a free agent after the season. It is probably a catch 22. If he is good, and the Hawks can ink him long term, it is possible he bridges the Seahawks between Hasselbeck and when the team has a suitable franchise QB developed. We'll see....

THANKS FOR COMING OVER

Nate Burelson has taking his share of abuse from the internet community for his struggles the first year he was a Seahawk. The false numbers of his contract didn't help. However, last year he showed a tremendous amount of improvement. Not only that but he has drastically changed the performance of special teams. Pre 06, a return TD was something that just seemed more like luck than skill, however, since Nate has taken over, every kick is an electric event. He has proven that he can change a game when the team needs it the most. This alone makes him a building block.

No consider this... He led the team in receiving touchdowns last year. Plus, Mike Holmgren will tell you that it takes 3 years to truly grasp the system. This could be the year we see Nate explode. That will be key too, as the receiver group needs a another vet to count on. Regardless, Burelson figures to play a key role in this team in 2008 and beyond.

STICK AROUND

Leroy Hill burst on to the scene from the third round in 2005. He hasn't looked back. He is still getting better. All this while barley being noticed because of the presence of two other pro bowl linebackers on the Hawks. However..... and it is a big however, we don't really know Leroy's future with the team.

The team wants to look him up. Leroy has hired an agent who has had a lot of success in getting top free agent dollars for clients. Hopefully they lock him up, because it may not be to long before the team is replacing the other outside linebacker. All the more reason to keep Leroy around as a building block of the defense.

SPEAKING OF...

Building blocks of the defense, how about the way Brandon Mebane came from the third round and saved the Seahawks. The Hawks looked to be having issues with run defense again until injuries got Mebane in the starting lineup. The team then went 11 games in a row without allowing a 100 yard rusher. Coach Holmgren felt he should be considered from rookie of the year. Lets hope his development continues and he becomes a premier run stuffer. Judging by his recent interview on KJR, he certainly seems to be taking his offseason very seriously. Now lets just get a young, stud, insider rusher to put next to him.

THE ROCK

Or the Lock, as in Sean Locklear. Since working his way into the starting lineup in 2005, Locklear has played above his draft position. He was rewarded with a nice contract this offseason, even showing his loyalty by taking less to remain with the Hawks. Is he Walters eventual successor? I am not so sure. He seems like he he could be a top right tackle for 15 years, why mess with that. At some point he will have to slide over if Walter gets a boo boo, so we will find out then. In the meantime, Hawks fans can feel comfortable knowing that the right side of the line is "Lock"ed down.


Overall, I was surprised that their weren't more third rounders on the team. In fact, the number is equal to that of the later rounds. However, we can see that the quality of the player is improving. All of these players are or have been starters in this league. Now, with the the third round in day two, the team may have the chance to take the night between and make sure they get the guys they want in this round. I would expect that the trend of finding starters in the third is likely to continue. Of course it will if your Tim Ruskell, with only David Greene gone, he has used his 4 third rounders into 3 solid pieces of the present and future. Read More!

Fill Out the Roster in Round 4

by: Michael Steffes

Another day, another look at where the current Seahawks were drafted. Today we look at round four. So far, with exception of the 6th round, which included franchise quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and 7 other players, each late round has 5 players in it. One thing this shows is that late round players don't make a team great, they mostly make a team deep, which in some years is just as important. The fourth round is no different.

All but one of the fourth rounders have been chosen by Tim Ruskell. The one who wasn't is a quarterback. The other four are linemen. This is a trend that I expect we may see continue next weekend. Look for a tackle to groom and possibly take over Ray Willis' spot as the primary back up to be chosen. It is also possible that if the early picks have a heavy offensive flavor to them, then the fourth round pick may address the defensive line. Last year they addressed both lines in the fourth. To take a look....



TIME WILL TELL

To start with lets look at both of last years picks. Neither of them were on the field enough last year to get a real accurate read on their abilities.

Mansfield Wrotto-- Great name! Hopefully he will someday be a great player. Last year he was chosen with the pick acquired for Darrell Jackson. Wrotto was the ultimate project pick. He was said to have the most upside of any guard last year. He had only been playing the position for a year and a half. The team new he would not contribute, but as a fourth they didn't expect him to. Obviously others felt strong about his potential as well, or the Seahawks may have tried to slip him to the practice squad. Instead they kept on the 53 man roster and watched him develop. I think that you will hear his name a lot in camp, and if the team switches to a zone system next year, he will be a dark horse to start. He is that atheletic.

Baraka Atkins-- Again, he really didn't play a whole lot of meaningful snaps last year. When he did, it wasn't often that you heard his name called. However, it was telling that the team felt comfortable shipping out Bryce Fisher. They knew that would weaken the depth, but wanted to make sure Atkins had room to grow. He ended the year on IR. He could be a player in the role of what Justin Tuck did for the Giants. He can play as a lightning quick penetrating tackle, or he can move outside and hold his ground. He is one player I am very interested in watching over the summer. Hopefully he is raring to go!

BREATHE EASIER

Ray Willis-- Willis is the type of guy a coach loves to have on the team. Willis was a darn fine player in college and was expected to be drafted a lot higher. In fact he probably would be starting on 9 out of 10 teams by now. Unfortunately for him, and the Hawks, Sean Locklear developed into a heck of a tackle. But having Willis around should make Hawk fans a little more comfortable knowing if Big Walt had to sit a few out, between Locklear and Willis, the line could keep Hass upright long enough to win a game or two.

Seneca Wallace-- Wallace is in the same boat. Lets be realistic, nobody wants to see Seneca play QB. And nobody is all the comfortable when he does. But when you compare him to some back ups in the league he is a pretty darn good insurance policy. Now, the question with Wallace, is when are the Seahawks going to start using his skill sets. We have all been teased by his athletic ability. The catch in the 2005 NFC Championship game. His brief appearances last year. I am still don't believe he will ever make a full time position switch, but I do think the team needs to use him more. Something tells me that Jim Mora wouldn't be nearly as hesitant to run a trick play as Big Show. Just using Seneca in a gimmick play once or twice a week adds one more thing for opposing teams to prepare for. Using him as decoy, like he did a lot last year, only works if you actually use him successfully first.

START ME UP

Rob Sims has been the steal of the 4th round to this point. He took an awful lot of heat last year, and he certainly underachieved. I tend to blame the coaching a little more than most. The Hawks let defenders come through untouched more than any other team last year (tied with the Jets). That is coaching. That is the scheme. This kid has talent for sure. He showed it in 06'. I expect Rob Sims to win the RG spot. I expect the line to have a resurgent year. Rob Sims will be a starter for the Seahawks for a long time. Coach Holmgren knew it the first year he was with the team, and I trust the coaches assessment. Sims is another guy who the competition for his spot in camp is going to do a world of good for. In my opinion.

Next up is first day picks. Well at least until this year. First round picks are where a GM makes his money. Considering the late rounds have produced only one bona-fide star. Expect the next three breakdowns to be littered with studs, starters, and Pro Bowls. Read More!

Fifth Round Finds

by: Michael Steffes

Seahawk Addicts look at the Seahawks roster by draft round moves on. With arguably the Seahawks best player, Matt Hasselbeck, behind us, expect to see more of the starting players upcoming. However, today, we find ourselves in round 5. The Seahawks don't have a fifth round pick this year. Will this hurt? Probably. Lets see the type of players that they have pulled from the fifth before.

To Continue....



PROVE IT TO ME

David Kirtman- At this point he is more famous for being Mike Holmgren's neighbor than anything he has done on the field. But this year their is a legitimate roster spot for him to occupy. With Mack Strong retired and Weaver not signed long term, a good camp from Kirtman could make all the difference in his young career. Either way, the Hawks are going to need a special teams contribution from this position group and Kirtman looks the most likely to provide that. At least as things currently stand.

Omare Lowe-- Local boy comes home. Originally drafted in the fifth by the Miami Dolphins, Lowe has bounced around and pin-balled his way back to Seattle. It would seem he has some work to do to earn himself a roster spot. Things could get worse next weekend if the Hawks take a safety. However, it seems that the Hawks do value veteran leadership at this position and therefore he could make a good impression if proves himself to be a vocal leader and quality special teamer.

IN THE MIDDLE

Will Herring-- Will made the team last year and finished third on the team in special teams tackles. However, with most of his competition for the back up linebacker role leaving town, he finds himself in a great position to be a key player for the Hawks. Ruskell clearly sees a lot of potential in this kid. He has only played linebacker for a couple of seasons, previously being a safety. His size actually worries me less than his inexperience. I still think, for the next year or two, it would be best if his contributions came covering kicks.

THE GLUE

Two guys from the fifth are the type of players that make an Ok team a playoff team and a good team a Superbowl team

Chris Gray- Gray has been a quality player in this league of a long long time. He was one of the anchors on the all time great 2005 line. Now a days, he is a bit over matched, but considering he is almost 38 years old that is OK. He came to the Seahawks in 1999 and has given the Hawks 8 years of quality play and stability. Anytime you get 15 years out of a guy in the later rounds, that is a good move. Miami was the team who drafted him, but he had his glory days here, and will most likely retire a Seahawk at the end of the 2008 season. Look for him to be the back up C/G this year and put a lot of effort into mentoring Chris Spencer.

Rocky Bernard-- The Sugarbear! What. A. Steal! Rocky has to be the best of the bunch, even though he and Gray are fairly equal. They have both done their share of dirty work for this team. Rocky Bernard was a perfect fit for this team. He has been a quality guy who gives his best no matter what. After getting a career high 8.5 sacks, he remained on a lesser deal. He will be a free agent after this season again, and if he has anything left in the tank I bet he stays again. He is one of the few, really good, true 3-technique tackles in this league. His specialty is causing penetration, and every once and a while falling on the QB and doing that sweet Sugarbear dance up above, while the QB lies in pain! Read More!

Superstars in the Sixth?

by: Michael Steffes

The Seahawk Addicts look at where the current Seahawks were drafted continues on. Today, we have reached the sixth round. The sixth round has been good to the Seahawks. Not necessarily in their own picks, but they traded for a notorious sixth rounder who happens to have worked his way into the Pro Bowl, and into the hearts of Seahawks fans. Don't know who I am talking about? Well.....


DEFENSIVE DEPTH

The first thing that one notices about the sixth round is the impressive amount of defensive line players. Most of these guys are providing quality depth. Chris Cooper is a versatile guy who broke camp with the Hawks before. Howard Green was having trouble sticking with a team, but he seemed to give the Hawks quality reps last year when injuries struck. Jonathan Lewis has bounced around a bit and will be trying to make a good impression in August.

The best of this group is Craig Terrill. Recently signed to an extension, Terrill is a damn fine player and a heck of a musician. He will have trouble if he is ever asked to play a full complement of snaps, but as a situational guy he does quite well. Not to mention, he can fill in for the national anthem singer in a pinch. Now that is what I call versatility.

Can you "Catch On"

Also in the sixth is a nice complement of pass catchers. Jordan Kent was taken last year in the final pick of the sixth. I covered him yesterday. Oops! Courtney Taylor was another pick from the sixth last year. He will looked at as a potential third receiver this year. He showed tremendous athleticsm last year in limited opportunites, almost making a circus catch against the Rams, I think. The front office likes him, and hopefully after this year, so will the fans. To me he seems like a bigger version of Bobby Engram. Let's hope his hands are as good too. Finally, the new TE Jeb Putzier was a sixth. So far he has had the most production out of these pass catchers. However, he disappeared in Houston. This will be the year he proves whether he is a starting type tight end, or just another sixth round pick who is only worth the veteran min.

Brady and Hass?

Arguably the two most famous 6th rounders in recent memory. One has Superbowls and supermodels, and one has no hair and a great sense of humor. He also happens to be the best QB in Seahawks history, I would say. He has now gone to three pro bowls and taken the team to the Superbowl. He keeps getting better and better, at passing and commercials. You could make the argument that Hass is the Seahawks best player and he is sixth rounder. While it took him a while to get where he is, it was worth the wait. Now lets just hope he gives us a Brett Favre esque career twilight .


Read More!

Seahawks From Round 7

by: Michael Steffes

In my continuing series on where the current Seahawks come from, we move along to the illustrious seventh round picks. Truth be told, there aren't a whole lot of stars coming out of the 7th round, but it is worth discussing it anyway.

To Check it out.....

Here are the current Seahawks chosen in the 7th round


The first thing that jumps out is that there is a whole lot of wait and see with the seventh rounders. Because the list is so small, I am just going to break down each player.

First, Jordan Kent.... Maybe the most potential out of the group but also the most raw. Only played football a few seasons, but was a lock down defender on the b-ball court and a track star. Expect this year to be critical in his development. Also, expect to hear that a lot in looking at the rest of the players. UPDATE... It would appear I have made another critical error. Kent was taking with the absolute last pick of the 6th round. Just for kicks I am going to leave him here. Also, I think there are a lot of sixths to talk about.

Ben Obamanu.... He looks to be the favorite to be the third receiver this year. Last year he amassed a little more than 100 yards and scored. He looked much improved by the time the Green Bay game rolled around. I would think by the end of this year he will be the one we say is the best of this bunch.

Steve Vallos.... Played on the practice squad last year. Not even a lock to make the roster this year. However, what does bode well for him is that he plays center, and back up Chris Gray is likely to call it quits soon. I think we will know about how Vallos has progressed on draft day. If a center is taken, he will likely be gone. If not, he will have to become a legit NFL player this year so that he can take over the versatile back up role next year.

Mike Green... Mr. Green is currently the best of the bunch. Mr. Green is also a former Mr. Irrelevant. Coming over in a trade from Chicago, Green was finally healthy last year and he contributed. This team has a bunch of veteran safeties, and if they take a good young player like Kenny Phillips, Green may become irrelevant again.

"Fudge Plackemier"... The pudgy punter has been a valuable addition from the 7th round, but he looks like he will have to fend off a variety of competitors to remain. Plack excels at pinning a team a deep, but he remains inconsistent when punting from his own end. Between him and Josh Brown, another 7th rounder, the Seahawks put the opposing teams in a good starting spot way too often last year. I think Plack has a make or break camp in front of him, if he survives, I expect him to develop into one of the better punters in the league.

Read More!

Where Do They Come From?

by: Michael Steffes

With the draft a mere 9 days away, I thought to pass the time, I would start a series of posts looking at where the Seahawks come from. Not home towns, but draft rounds instead. The idea of this intrigued me because of all the roster turnover in the last three years. It will also allow a look at whether draft position is critical to success, or is it really the mental make up of the player. Obviously, players with the measurables are going to be drafted higher.

So to start, we will be looking at the undrafted free agents. We will be counting down towards the first round, expected sometime late next week. I have limited the look to players who have made the active roster at some point, and thus this analysis does not include all of the players on reserve/future contracts who are being given a shot in camp.

To see the breakdown.....




WAIT AND SEE...

Kevin Hobbs, Logan Payne and CJ Wallace. Hobbs has been up and down between the practice squad and active roster. He seems to provide acceptable depth for CB injuries. The other two are a bit sexier in the minds of Hawk fans. Both were UFA's last year. Wallace made the team right out of camp, eventually ending up on IR. Payne was brought up to the active roster near the end of the season, however he never made a game day roster. Payne has inspired a lot of gushing around Kirkland and the first half of this year is his time to show it. Wallace looked like a promising special teamer before his injury, but questions remain whether he would be a capable fill in if a safety were to go down.

HONORABLE MENTION

DD Lewis, Lance Laury, and Will Heller... Ahh, got to love our reserve linebackers. Both Laury and Lewis are special teams demons, however neither provides a good nights sleep to coaches if a linebacker goes down. However, Lewis, has made a career for himself and Laury won special teams player of the week last year. Heller has made a find career for himself in the blocking tight end niche. He had about a 100 yards receiving and 3 TDs last year. That will probably keep him around for a while longer.

CREAM OF THE CROP

Weaver, Russell, Babineaux... Three key players on last years squad were UFA's. All of these players have made a name for themselves. Weaver and Babs mostly to Hawk fans, and Russell enough that he received a nice free agent contract. All of these players have moved from undrafted to key players. Weaver and Russell were starters last year, Weaver from week 4 on. Babs, while not a starter has made an instant impact since coming into the league. Somehow when the big play needs to be made Babs has found himself in the middle of it. Just ask Dallas. Not many undrafted guys ever get the nickname "Big Play", so he deserves all the recognition he gets.


BEST OF THE BUNCH

This might surprise you, but it is Olindo Mare. While it is not surprising that a kicker would make it in to the league undrafted, you can't argue with the heights his career ascended too. He was one of the top kickers in league for about an eight year period, including being voted to a Pro Bowl and being given 1st team all pro honors in 1999. He is the only UFA on the team to be given honors such as these.

Read More!

Fun With Rosters Part 2

by: Michael Steffes

Yesterday, you may remember, that I began a comparison between the current Seahawks squad and the 2005 Superbowl team. I am borrowing this idea from a writer whose Instant 49ers Blog I read often, Matt Miaocco. Times are a bit tough by the bay, Matt is looking to see how much the Niners have really improved since the 2-14 season on 2004. The outlook is a touch brighter up in the great Northwest, so we are looking at how this team compares to our best showing ever.

The offensive comparison stirred a good debate yesterday. Some of you agreed, others had differing opinions. That is what makes pieces like this fun. So today, we get the defense. This should be fun too. Ever since the moment the special master rubber stamped the poison pill, Tim Ruskell has started building a monster defense. To look at how it compares to 2005'.....


DEFENSIVE LINE

2005: Bryce Fisher, Rocky Bernard, Marcus Tubbs, Grant Wistrom, Chuck Darby, Craig Terrill, Joe Tafoya, Rodney Bailey

2008: Patrick Kerney, Rocky Bernard, Brandon Mebane, Darrell Tapp, Craig Terrill, Howard Green, Marcus Tubbs, Baraka Atkins, Chris Cooper

Lets begin by separating the two types of defensive linemen. If we look at the tackles, a lot of the names remain the same. Rocky Bernard had his best season in 05', probably because Tubbs was healthy and taking on blockers. The team led the league in sacks in 05'. However, Brandon Mebane was outstanding at the end of last year and should help Bernard to have a great contract year. The starters at tackle are a push. Now in the rotation, Terrill is still there, and Tubbs in now a back up, if he is healthy. He is supposed to be healthy by training camp. Will it stay that way? If he does, I say the current team is deeper, if he doesn't I say it is a push. Darby played very well that year. Howard Green is not capable of taking his game to the level Chuck played at in 05', at least I don't think. Maybe a draft pick is.

As for the Ends... well its a totally different story. I think they have been significantly upgraded. While Fisher had a very nice year in 2005. He totaled 9.0 sacks. However, he just wasn't even close to the threat that Patrick Kerney is. While often being schemed against and double teamed, something Fisher wasn't, Kerney amassed 14.5 sacks from the same position. On the other side, Wistrom was a team leader, and one of the bigger name free agents to have signed with Hawks, but at that point he had declined. He had 4 sacks that season. While inconsistent, Tapp had 4 sacks in one game. Now heading into his third year, he projects to be far better than Wistrom was in 05' As for the backups, neither team has any impact backups at END, so hopefully, like the 05' team they make it through