I've Moved

For those of you that follow this blog: you should now check in regularly at FieldGulls.com because I will now be leading a team of really great writers over there. I figure I can reach a larger audience and get better support from SBNation than I could get doing everything myself here. Hope to see you over there and make sure and contribute and comment as much as you want, I welcome discussion on everything.

Also, I've taken over the twitter handle Fieldgulls so check me out on the twitterverse.

Thank God it's TGIF

I've taken a few days off from posting but plan on picking it back up again in force next week. I don't have any original content for you today but I'll hook you up with a few good links.

Seattle was one of two teams to attend Montana State's pro day, where they took a look at OL Michael Person. A little bit about the 6'5, 299 lb (likely Guard) player, from his NFL Combine page:

Person is prospect from the FCS ranks with the intangibles, work-ethic and football smarts to become a backup offensive lineman. However, lacks the foot quickness and body control necessary to start or protect the blind side. While he did not allow a sack during his senior year and shows the ability to thwart the bull rush, should have problems dealing with speed rushers. Doesn't play with great pad level or blow defenders off the ball but does a good job getting into position as a run blocker. Consistently recognized for his leadership and effort in college. Person could hear his named called late on Day 3.

Strengths

Person has the mentality you look for. Capable of anchoring and holding up against the bull rush. Gets off the ball, establishes good initial position, and locks on when run blocking. Takes direct routes to targets at the second level. Has good football IQ and a lot of starting experience.

Weaknesses

Lacks bulk for the NFL. Does not possess the athleticism to stick with edge rushers. Hat and hand placement need to improve. Leans and lunges on occasion. Doesn't get much movement off the ball when run blocking. Must adjust to a steep incline in competition level from the FCS level.

A few more visits are expected/have happened:

Tony Pauline reports that the Hawks will work out Boise State (backup) QB Mike Coughlin. He didn't get much playing time in his college career behind Kellen Moore. This does not bode well - but there is precedent for this - Matt Cassel was a backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart his entire college career and has had a measure of success in the NFL.

Lehigh Guard Will Rackey - The Hawks (Tom Cable according to this article) recently attended the pro day for the probable 3rd round pick. This isn't really new news, but the Hawks most definitely have interest.

More on Rackey from the NFL Combine Page:

Rackley's a small-school tackle who projects well as a guard in the NFL. He's above-average in pass protection and as a run blocker and has the mentality necessary to become a starter. Does a good job against power pass rushers but may have some difficulty against defensive linemen with great agility. Fires off the ball, wins the position battle, and is very capable moving to the second level but does not possess the leg drive to move defenders off the ball. Shows average awareness but will may need some time to adjust to the complexity of the NFL. Rackley's a Day 2 prospect.

Hampton DT Kenrick Ellis.  According to Adam Wright's twitter account, the Hawks worked out the big defensive tackle on Wednesday.  He projects as a probable 5-tech for the Hawks.  Here's what his NFL Combine Page has to say:

Ellis is an intriguing prospect who could develop into a complete starting defensive tackle capable of clogging up the middle, making plays in the backfield off penetration, and collapsing the pocket. Has a pretty rare combination of size and explosiveness. Can be disruptive with his power or quickness. Counters and the screen game can be used to beat him at times. Plays with some fire and has a solid motor. Teams will need to further investigate his dismissal from South Carolina.

Strengths

Ellis is blessed with NFL-ideal height and weight at defensive tackle. Holds up really well at the point of attack and can take on the double team and eat up space inside. Does a very good job pushing the pocket with his bull rush and uses a few hand moves to get off blocks. Excellent burst for a big man.

Weaknesses

Has character flags after being suspended and later dismissed by South Carolina. Needs to do a better job of watching his pad level at times. Can be fooled by crisp ball-handling and ball-fakes. Can be neutralized by trap blocks he fails to recognize. There are some concerns about his conditioning level.

Apparently the Hawks are not the team that has put in a first round draft pick offer for Kevin Kolb, according to Peter King.  This comes a day or two after Pete Carroll didn't deny that they were in fact the team to do so.  Of course Pete is going to be playing coy and possibly even using smokescreens at this point about which direction the Hawks will be going. At least, I hope he is, because I would love to see them use a little tact this time around so they don't have to give up an arm and a leg to get their target QB.

(Like they did last year with Whitehurst - it seems like the offer the Chargers presented to the Hawks was a pretty much their first offer, and evidently they expected some haggling... but the Hawks accepted.  "oh - geez! Yeah if you're take that offer? Sweet! (chuckle chuckle).  Actually the real quote was "We presented them a deal we thought was good for us, and we are thrilled it was accepted.” - translation - SUCKERS). Damn it just get the stupid CBA done so we can all stop speculating on the QB situation.

Ok, on to the good news: Compensatory draft picks will be announced today. Hopefully we get two or three more first rounders. That would be great. But it's most likely going to be a 4th and a 6th (or a 5th and 7th according to some). Brandon Adams breaks it down...

Throwing Some Stats Around

Think the Seahawks shocking the world had any bearing on the perception of them nationwide?  According to ColdHardFootballFacts.com, uhhhh, no. In their latest offseason power rankings, they had the Hawks at #24 in the league (yes, only 8 teams are worse than the Hawks). Above them? Try San Francisco and St. Louis.  Also, the Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and even the Minnesota Vikings.  Ouch.

While I can't really dispute this all that much based on the Hawks' situation at QB and the fact that they had a near league-worst defense last year, it still goes to show that the Hawks get no love despite the fact that they beat the defending champion Saints in the playoffs and challenged Chicago enough to ignite a glimmer of hope they'd be playing in the NFC Championship game. Oh well, being an underdog is not necessarily a bad thing.

This quasi-arbitrary (once past the top 10 or so) ranking system aside, Cold Hard Football Facts does have some great metrics to take a look at and I did so in relation to the Hawks.  First off, their Bendability Index is a system of trying to measure the effectiveness of the "bend but don't break" concept on defense - this is exactly what Pete Carroll's defensive philosophy is all about - and offers some insight into the direction the Hawks are going:

The Blame Game

Check out a piece I wrote over at Seahawks Addicts about the recently released lists of Best and Worst Cornerbacks in the NFL, compiled by Football Outsiders.

HawkLinks for Sunday

In case you haven't see it yet, the NFL has proposed rule changes meant to diminish injuries to players on what is the most injury inducing play in the league, kickoffs. These rule changes propose that the kickoff line be moved to the 35 yard line (instead of the 30) so there will be more touchbacks and theoretically less room to get a running start for the return man. Obviously, with the Seahawks ranked so highly in special teams, I'm against these rule changes. Leon Washington proved to be the man on kickoff returns and proved himself invaluable in the field position game. If the changes are enacted, it could potentially be detrimental to the Hawks.

For an idea of the type of change you're looking at, in 1993, the last year that kickoffs were taken from the 35 yard line, there were 57 kickoff returns of 40+ yards and 4 touchdown returns. In 1992, there were 6 return TDs. In 2010, Leon Washington had 3 himself (and should have been 4 except for a early celebration), and there were 113 40+ yard returns and 23 touchdowns. Player safety would most likely be improved though so it may be enacted. Personally, I'm not against player safety, but it seems like it would make kickoffs very dull. Check out the links above for a more in-depth look at the rule changes and their potential ramifications.

Kevin Kolb might be on the move, and Andy Reid has stated that he'll be listening to offers during the offseason. Check out a couple of stories from NFL.com on a potential trade for Kolb - one that looks at the risk involved and one that looks at potential suitors and the odds it will happen.

Speaking of quarterback acquisitions, I guess it has recently come out that the Hawks originally wanted to trade for then-Buffalo QB Trent Edwards before getting rebuffed and instead traded for Charlie Whitehurst. Not that it really matters now, but it kind of makes you wonder about Whitehurst considering he was a backup option to a guy that got released from the Bills after two games in 2010.  After he was released, it was again rumored the Hawks may try to pick him up but he was claimed by the Jaguars instead.  The Hawks instead settled on another former Bill as their third-stringer, JP Losman.

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle takes a look at Georgia C Clint Boling, a potential target for the Hawks in round 2 of the draft.

Looking Forward: Wide Receivers, Part II

Golden Tate had a very hit and miss rookie season. He ended up catching 21 passes for 221 yards - which is not especially impressive. He did however have some very impressive catches in those 21, which gives me hope as a fan that his sophomore campaign will be his breakout year.

First off, why did he struggle in his first year? He has the tools - he's got great hands, can break tackles, and is an exciting runner after the catch. He was the toast of training camp and preseason - wowing all the reporters at camp with his incredible acrobatic plays we'd hear about daily. He made some amazing catches in his few game opportunities but those opportunities were scarce because of his issues running routes and making mistakes.

Looking Forward: Wide Receivers

In a series of posts I plan to sort of roll out as the offseason goes on, I'll be taking a look at some of the Seahawks positions and trying to assess (as best as a fan can) the Hawks' strengths and needs.  I've started a bit with the Cornerback and Linebacker position, which I'll try to follow up on soon, but I wanted to talk a little bit about Wide Receivers - particularly Deon Butler and Golden Tate.  I'll start with Butler.

First of all, Deon Butler didn't come cheap to the Seahawks - they traded away three picks just to move up in the draft to select him in the third round (any third round pick is pretty valuable in the first place). They gave the Giants their fifth and seventh round choices from '09 and their 3rd round choice from '10.  A little ridiculous in my mind but that is basically the Seahawks drafting tendencies of the past decade or so in a nutshell. So the Hawks gave up a lot to get a receiver that's 5'10, 175 lbs. It's not like that precludes him from being a great receiver, but it definitely comes as a disadvantage. I guess that they drafted him with visions of DeSean Jackson in their minds, because he sort of fits that mold- extremely fast deep threat type receiver. You can't really fault them for that I suppose - Jackson had a ridiculous rookie campaign, leading his team in receptions and racking up almost a thousand yards on 62 catches. Not bad for a skinny little speedster.

HawkLinks for Friday

By now a lot of you have probably already seen this, but Randy Moss mentioned that he'd like to go back and play for the Patriots,... but also would play for the Browns or the Seahawks, if they'd have him. Some people saw this as a slight - like saying, "shoot, I'd even play for the lowly Seahawks or Browns." I'm inclined to just think that he throwing out teams randomly. There's a chance the leadership/coaching of those teams have some draw to him- and I kind of doubt that he was saying it as an insult. (Maybe he liked Darrell Bevell when he was briefly with Minnesota?) I'm not really sure how I feel about this - but I'm wary of adding a guy like Moss and risk negatively affecting the locker room. He is a talent for sure, but if teams like Minnesota or Tennessee couldn't use him at all, I doubt the Hawks could either. My guess is he'll end up with the Pats again.

Since I've lobbied a bit for the Carson Palmer trade, here are a few more links related to the situation that might catch you up a bit on the status of it all and give you more insight into Palmer as a player.

-Clark Judge's opinion is that Mike Brown will not trade Palmer, no matter what. Palmer will have to retire. Essentially, it's up to Marvin Lewis, the Bengals' head coach, to convince Brown otherwise.

-Jordan Palmer, on his brother Carson's toughness:

Carson had several deals going on and not that he - not just because he's my brother but he's probably the toughest player I've every played with and not just in the injuries he plays with but he doesn't say anything to anybody. So I was one of the only guys who really knew all the different things he had going on with his body and yeah, there was a couple games where I took every rep in practice and I'm thinking Saturday morning I'm going to start. The Saturday goes on and he starts feeling better and ends up suiting up and going on...There was a week when we were playing the Jets, we played on a Sunday then we had a Thursday Thanksgiving game. Very quick week, very difficult defense to prepare for. I went into that game really thinking I was going to start.

-Marshall Faulk and Rich Eisen talk about Carson Palmer's situation on NFL Total Access. Marshall Faulk believes Seattle would be a great fit for Palmer, saying, "Carson Palmer, in the NFC West, with his old coach, Pete Carroll: what merger between these two guys. Listen, if you saw what he did with Mike Williams and how Mike Williams played for Pete Carroll, just imagine what a guy who won the Heisman under Pete Carroll would do there."

Finally, as you may or may not know, I believe that the Seahawks need to sign or draft a true fullback to help with their running game this season. I'm not the only one - here's what QB Matt Hasselbeck said after the Hawks beat the Panthers in week 13, where Michael Robinson played a big role:

No one wanted to say it, but (if) you don’t have a fullback on your roster, it makes it a little harder, especially in short yardage and goal-line situations, having (Robinson) back is huge. I think it definitely showed up last week.

I'm not going to say that's insubordination, but the writing is on the wall - the Hawks didn't do themselves any favors by neglecting to have any true fullbacks on the roster for the majority of the season and Hass knew it. The standout fullback in this year's draft class could be Stanford's Owen Marecic. Check out a good profile courtesy of Bigblueview.com.  Marecic is an old-school football player - just a blue collar, do everything for you type of guy and would be a good pickup for the Hawks in the middle rounds if he lasts that long.  Of course, I highly doubt the Hawks will pick up a fullback in the draft, but a guy can dream right? I think it's an important piece of the puzzle that the Hawks will need to pick up in the offseason.

Trading for Kevin Kolb

I have been thinking about doing a write up on the idea of trading for Kevin Kolb. It's something that Kevin Calabro and many others have been talking about for weeks and the rumors are certainly circulating that the Hawks may be suiters for the 26 year old QB. I am not really sure how I feel about it to be honest with you. I did a short write up on it a few months ago, and stated then that overall I'm not a huge fan of the idea. In doing my research just now though, I did come across a ridiculously thorough look at Kevin Kolb, complete with in-depth analysis (and video of every pass he attempted) of every game he has started, courtesy of the SBNation Blog for the Eagles, Bleedinggreennation.com. If you're a Hawks fan and you've got about an hour to kill, read the article and watch the tape.

The Wildcat in Seattle

The Wildcat offense is not something that's foreign to the Seahawks. In the Holmgren years we saw the SeneCat formations with varying degrees of success... but mostly failure. Seneca Wallace was a weapon in theory but the plays just never really panned out. The Seneca Wallace plays had some success under Jim Mora, Jr's tenure (if you can call one year a tenure), but again - not really. The plays were used very infrequently and in random situations. For some reason though, people go crazy about it. I remember being at the games too and seeing Wallace run out there and all of a sudden 'oh it's ON!' Then of course he'd take the snap or the swing pass and run out of bounds or something at the line of scrimmage.

Well, when Isaiah Stanback was signed last preseason, the Wildcat rumors started up again in force.

Defensive Tackles to Watch Cont...

To continue in what will be a series of posts concentrated on a few prospects that Hawks fans should keep their eye on as the draft gets closer, I'll take a look at a few more Defensive Tackles that could be selected in the early rounds:

----DT Phil Taylor, Baylor
6'3, 334lbs

The first thing that jumps out at you about NT Phillip Taylor is his size. At 6'3, 334lbs, the immediate comparison to make is to Big Red Bryant (6'4, 323lbs). Since Taylor is not known for his elite pass rushing skills, the 5-tech position or the 1-tech might just suit him better, and he could provide depth along the line at both. Because the Hawks so desperately need a 5-tech to back up Bryant in the case that he gets hurt again or doesn't fully recover from his knee injury, Taylor may be at the forefront of the Hawks' front office's mind.

Defensive Tackles to Watch

I've intentionally been pretty quiet when it comes to possible draft targets, mostly because there are very good resources for this that know way more than me when it comes to college players.  The places I visit most for draft breakdowns are SeahawksDraftBlog, CBSSports' draft coverage, WalterFootball, DraftBreakdown, and Drafttek.  These guys do a great job of breaking down who might go where and giving detailed scouting reports on each player. I tend to take everything that Mel Kiper and Todd McShay say with a grain of salt because they change their reports and analysis of each guy so often it gets annoying. Players' stock goes up and down week in and week out for the simple reason that they need something new to talk about everyday on TV.  I understand it's an around the clock news era, but guys rise and fall so often it really makes you scratch your head. Regardless, it's such a crapshoot anyway that it's more important just to know what types of prospects are out there than to try and guess where they'll go.

I decided to take a look at some of the players that all these outlets have going to the Seahawks and give you a general overview of each guy from these sites so you can have an idea of who the Hawks might be looking at.

I'll start with a big-need position for the Hawks, Defensive Tackle.

For the Record:

I am just going to refuse to talk about the stupid lockout. It really annoys me, and I don't want even think about it. I'm just going on with my life as if it's not happening, free agency will start soon, the draft won't be canceled, and life will be good again. Instead, I'm going to take a nap. I think this will work.

The Prospect of Carson Palmer as a Hawk

Earlier this week, rumors started circulating that Palmer could be a real option in play for the Hawks. There were reports on ESPN Insider, some Cincinnati blogs, and chatter all over twitter about the subject.  Adam Wright posted on his Seahawk Talk twitter account that a "Source telling me that #Seahawks QB Hasselbeck has been told by the front office that they will try to deal for #Bengals QB Carson Palmer" followed by "Hasselbeck was also told if they can't acquire Palmer, they'll re-sign him, if they can agree on a new deal. The two QB's share same agent".  Now, you have to take all these reports and sources with a grain of salt, but it's legitimate that the Hawks could be interested in dealing for Palmer.

Cincy's front office has stated that he will not be traded, and will be forced to retire if he doesn't want to play.  As late as Thursday afternoon, sources had the Bengals offering the automatic response to trade requests as: 'No, thanks. If Palmer plays in 2011, it will be for us.' Of course, anything could happen, but if Cincy is going to turn down a first round draft pick and just let Palmer retire, then that's their choice.

I just don't think that will happen. Bengals' owner Mike Brown has remained steadfast in his word in the past: Ochocinco tried to hold out for a trade, that didn't work; Corey Dillon did the same, with zero success.  These players were good, yes, but neither of them could have fetched what Carson could.  Also, neither of them threatened to retire - something that I believe that Palmer will do if he doesn't get his trade. Why would Brown decide to take nothing and let Palmer retire when he could possibly get a another first round draft pick for this year to continue his team's rebuilding process? He may be stupid enough or stubborn enough, but I just don't see it in this case.

Here's why I'm not against the acquisition (and maybe am hoping for it a little bit):

HawkLinks

Brandon Mebane has been given a third-round tender.  To me, this says that the Hawks want to keep him but will not keep him at too high a cost.  Derek Stevens over at The Blue Bird Herd wrote a good piece advocating against franchising Mebane (a forgone conclusion at this point) and illustrates why losing Mebane might not be the end of the world (because Pete Carroll has him playing the wrong position).  It's also a position review of the Defensive Tackle/Nose Tackle spots as well that sheds some light on the Hawks' needs.  The Blue Bird Herd blog is a really well written and researched blog and Derek Stevens seems to really know his football.  I had never really heard of it until just recently, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Since I did a piece on Pete Carroll's offensive philosophy, it's only natural that you as a fan should read up on his defensive philosophy as well.  In a three part series by Damien Lynch from Foul Weather Fans.  Very interesting and one any Hawks' fan should read.  A couple notes of interest about this series of articles:
-It was written before last season, so it's fun to see where Lynch projects each player and what their strengths would be for each position.  Overall he demonstrates good foresight into this for the most part.
-It spells out why Brandon Mebane is a good, if not great 1-Tech player but not ideally suited for the 3-tech position, (which, according to Pete Carroll, is supposed to be "your premier interior pass rusher" and be able to beat the center and guard consistently to get to the QB), and coincidentally is exactly the argument that Derek Stevens of Blue Bird Herd makes in the link I posted above.
-The author notes that Earl Thomas would be a great candidate for FS in Pete Carroll's defense (this was written before the draft had happened last year), and even included a picture of him in the article.  Very good sir!  Two Points!

Brandon Adams over at 17Power pointed out another great article about the Brandon Mebane Conundrum at his blog, written by Kip Earlywine (raddest name ever, by the way). I'll quote from there but you need to check out the article in full. Here's a paragraph that sums up the thesis:

Brandon Mebane is not a natural pass rushing defensive tackle. He is natural at dominating a single gap, penetrating into the backfield, getting hits and tackles behind the line of scrimmage and stopping the run in the process. What Mebane doesn't have is anything resembling elite pass rushing technique, aside from a super-quick first step. When tasked with the "1 tech" role in 2007 and 2008, Mebane was arguably the most valuable defender on the team in that time frame. In 2008 alone, he had 5.5 sacks and 18 QB hits, all of this while essentially acting as the 4th pass rusher. This misguidedly caused Seahawks coaches to think Mebane would be better in a pass rushing role, but just the opposite, the lack of pass rush support turned Mebane into a non-factor. He had only 1 sack and 1 QB hit in 2010 while playing a pass rush position.

John Clayton has a new potential free agent guard to keep your eye on: Davin Joseph.  He may be more attractive to the Hawks because he is much younger than a Robert Gallery and could be more durable. Check out the story here.  I'm intrigued.

With the Seahawks looking to possibly upgrade at the right tackle position come April's draft, it makes sense to get to know a few of the prospects.  Meet Gabe Carimi.  Says he's the best tackle in the draft.  Could be on the Hawks' radar at #25, if he lasts that long.

Looking Forward: Cornerbacks Part II

In the live chats that Hawks' beat reporters often do, people ask about the Hawks lack of depth at the CB position.  The venerable Eric D Wiliams of the Tacoma News Tribune has indicated that he thinks the Hawks have more depth there than most people give them credit for.  He then will mention a couple of young players named Marcus Brown and Josh Pinkard that have a shot at competing for a roster spot next year.  I took note of this and did a little research on Brown and Pinkard to give you a better idea of what to expect.

Josh Pinkard is a USC product that has most likely been given a chance because of his prior affiliation with Pete Carroll.  He played six years at USC: he was given two years of a eligibility back because he sustained major injuries in 2006 and 2007, tearing the ACL in each knee.  

When he did play, though, he was a very good corner. In 2008, in 12 games, he had 39 tackles, 3 deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles and an interception on his way to an Honorable Mention for All Pac-10 honors. In 2009 he improved on his numbers, managing 59 tackles, 9 passes broken up, and 2 interceptions.

Pete Carroll's Offensive Philosophy

In the last few days and weeks, there have been a lot of rumors flying around about who the Seahawks might bring in next year to play at QB. It's that time of the year where talk is really the only thing you can do.  Things are starting to heat up though as the draft draws nearer and the idea of free-agency actually happening sounds more realisitic.

While we can speculate on who the Hawks might bring in to play QB next year, I think it's important to talk about what type of QB Pete Carroll really wants, and more specifically, what type of offense you can expect the Hawks to be running in 2011.

When Pete Carroll was hired last year, in pure Sinatra style, he promised that he'd do it 'his way'.

"I vowed, 'If this is the last coaching job I ever have I'm going down with the stuff that I want to be my offense,'" Carroll said at the time.

Grading the Seahawks' 2010 Draft: Round 5

Kam Chancellor

5th Round, 2nd pick (133rd overall)

In the fifth round, using the pick they received in the trade of G Rob Sims to Detroit, the Hawks chose a 6'3, 232 lb Safety named Kam Chancellor out of Virginia Tech.  A former high school quarterback, he played Free Safety and Corner for Virginia Tech and was originally projected to play Free Safety in the NFL.  However, he lacks elite ballhawk skills and is more adept as a run-stopper so the Hawks have moved him over to Strong Safety. He's a strong, fairly quick athlete that shows a lot of promise and could compete for the starting SS job next fall.  His experience at Free Safety will serve him well in his pass coverage and defending play action, but his true strength will be as an in-the-box type thumper.

Looking Forward: Cornerbacks Part I

Because CB is such a position of need for the Hawks going into 2011, I'm going to break my review out into several posts.  To start out, I'm going to profile a few young guys that I think could have an impact at OTAs and in camp, and possibly compete for a roster spot and playing time.

First of all, I want to take a look at newly signed CB Brandon Browner.  Signed from the CFL's Calgary Stampeders in late January, I look at this guy as the most probable of the 'futures' guys to have an immediate impact for the Hawks.  One thing that I noticed about him when doing some research is that he is listed as a Strong Safety at some outlets, a Free Safety at others, and a CB at most.  I don't think Pete has really mentioned where they envision him playing, whether it be at Strong Safety, Free Safety backing up Earl Thomas, or Corner; I'd say that CB is the most likely landing spot for Browner.

Looking Forward: Linebackers

The Seahawks linebackers were a bit frustrating this season. Prior to the start, it was basically the only position group that nobody was worried about. They were solid and deep; Lofa Tatupu in the middle, David Hawthorne and Leroy Hill weakside, and Aaron Curry on the strongside. A linebacker corps to be feared and respected. At least I thought it was. Unfortunately it didn't really pan out like that.

Leroy Hill had problems with the law and then with his health and was placed on IR before the season started. David Hawthorne played well and was statistically the best linebacker on the team. Tatupu played alright, considering his myriad injuries and lack of size. Aaron Curry played alright as well. He is frustrating when you compare him to Clay Matthews but he doesn't play the same role as Matthews in our defense and thus doesn't get the same statistical production. That being said, he's not terrible either. He is a good player with the potential to be a great player, and I'm hoping that he takes that step in 2011.

Overall the group underachieved on a statistically terrible defense. They failed to shine in any defensive category.  Their leading tackler was Hawthorne for the second straight year.  He racked up 106 tackles, but compare that to league leaders (174 Jerod Mayo) and it's rather lackluster (26th among linebackers in 2010). In 2011 the Hawks linebacker corps will have to step up and make a bigger statement for the defense to get any better. Everyone tends to focus on the Defensive Line or Defensive Backs when it comes to the Hawks terrible defense, but some blame needs to fall on the linebackers as well.

DT Brandon Mebane Tendered

Brandon Mebane received an original round restricted free agency tender.  That means they've offered him a one year contract, and if he signs with another team, that team will have to give up their third round pick for him.  Of course, no one knows what the new CBA will spell out for restricted free agents so it could all be a moot point.

And in that spirit, I will write no more on the subject.  But I will leave you with this video of him chest bumping Derek Anderson, which makes him all that more endearing to me, and combined with the fact that he's young and talented, it makes me really hope he re-signs with the Hawks.

Seahawks release TE Chris Baker

Due a $500k roster bonus coming up on the league year-end, the Hawks decided to release veteran TE Chris Baker.  This is not a super surprising move; the Hawks are stacked at TE, and youngsters Cameron Morrah and Anthony McCoy have the potential to get more playing time in 2011, as I stated about a week ago in an article about the future of our Tight Ends.  

The other way to look at this is that new Offensive Line coach Tom Cable may be looking to improve their blocking TE position in the offseason and Baker didn't figure into his plans.  There have been rumors that the Hawks may pursue Daniel Graham, who was just released by the Broncos.  Cable and Graham go way back and Graham has a reputation as a solid veteran blocking Tight End.  Seattle could be a logical landing place for a player like Graham, as the Hawks are looking to improve their pass protection and run blocking in the coming season and may look to reunite with Cable.

I think overall that it's a good move to release Baker.  Seattle has great depth at the position and players with higher potential ceilings like McCoy and Morrah will get a chance to play more next season.  I look forward to it.

QB Nate Davis Waived by Seahawks

Well, so much for that.

It will be interesting to see what this means.  I don't know what they saw or didn't see from Davis, but now the Hawks are left with one QB on their roster, Charlie Whitehurst.  They have yet to sign Matt Hasselbeck with only about 9 hours left till the CBA expires.

Things are beginning to get interesting.

TEs in the Bevell Offense

Check out a piece I did on what to expect from John Carlson and Cameron Morrah this next season over at Seahawks Addicts.

2011 Season: Nostradamus style

A Futile and Pointless Exercise: Guessing the Hawks' record next year:

Home:
Arizona Cardinals
St Louis Rams
San Francisco 49'ers
Philidelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinatti Bengals

Away:
Arizona Cardinals
St Louis Rams
San Francisco 49'ers
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers

Wow, the Hawks, by getting to the playoffs, really made things harder for themselves next year. By winning the division, you ensure yourself a tougher schedule, and the Hawks are going to be playing some elite teams in 2011.

The Mike Williams Reclamation Project 2011

A little caveat before you read this article:  I'm a dreamer when it comes to the Hawks.  When they invited Reggie Williams and Mike Williams  to camp last year I had delusions of the Hawks' grandeur, picturing Mike and Reggie coming back to dominate the league and provide Carroll with his prototypical big, jump ball in the endzone type receivers.  Well, obviously Reggie didn't pan out.  But you know what?  Mike Williams did. One year later, 2nd in voting for NFL comeback player of the year after a solid "rookie" campaign.  During the offseason, there's a lot of time to sit there and try and come up with who Carroll and Schneider will dig up this year, and that is basically what this article amounts to.  I'm not an idiot (I hope); I know that the vast majority of players that wash out of the league do so for a reason and coaches and front office guys are typically good at what they do and at talent evaluation.  That being said, some guys slip through the cracks for one reason or another.  So in other words, take everything that follows with a grain of salt, but try and enjoy the idea of what potential it could have.

He's a former USC Legend. He's a tall, sure handed, athletic WR. He was selected early in the draft but ultimately never met the expectations of the team that drafted him so ultimately he was released. Pete Carroll though, saw something in him and invited him to tryout for his Seahawks team. Am I talking about Mike Williams? Nope.  I'm talking about FA WR Dwanye Jarrett.

Leon Washington Re-signed

As everyone has already reported, the Hawks resigned Leon Washington to a 4 year deal worth up to $16 million. I'm excited about the signing. It shows a loyalty to players that came in and produced, and it shows an acknowledgement to how important the special teams squad is to the Hawks' coaching staff and front office. Special Teams can be the forgotten group; typically young no-namers competing for a job. They aren't bad players, but inexperienced a lot of the time. The Hawks' special teams won them at least 2 or 3 games by themselves last year. They were indirectly responsible for several other wins as well. The field position game is SO important to an offense like Seattle' and one that cannot be neglected.  I love that the Hawks have shown they value this by re-signing special teams' stalwarts Roy Lewis, Kennard Cox, and now Leon Washington.

Hawks Re-sign DB Kennard Cox

CB/DB Kennard Cox was re-signed today through the 2011 season.  Another in a line of role-player signings, Cox brings expertise and experience to the Hawks highly ranked special teams unit.  Cox also gives the Hawks some depth at Corner, though he will not likely compete for a starting job at that position.  

Cox is 6'0, 190 lbs.  He's young, is a hard worker, and has stayed motivated despite the fact he's been cut and re-signed so many times that he probably doesn't want to think about it.  Good for him for persevering- that type of presence in the locker room can't hurt.