Mercifully, It's Over for the Seattle Seahawks... What's Next?

The 2009 season has come and gone for the Seattle Seahawks. Like any good fan, I was watching and cheering for my team right up until the very end. On Sunday, finally, it came to an end.

Many questions linger now. What comes next? Who stays? Who will be gone when we take the field in 2010?

First, I want to say I don't believe you can blame this season on Matt Hasselbeck. Did he struggle through the final month of the season? Of course, even the biggest Hasselbeck fan, blinded by the shine from his bald dome, can see that. But why did he struggle? Injuries certainly played a role in his numbers falling off, and those injuries are a direct result of Seattle Seahawks management allowing the offensive line to become old, slow, and soft.

For some reason, the best I can figure it, they suits making the choices thought as long as Walter Jones is on the team, they can ignore the rest of the glaring problems on the O-line. Problem is, Walter Jones never played a game, and the management never made a move to improve protection for it's quarterback.

Now, i'm not taking blame away from the play of team here either, don't get me wrong. They played soft, uninspired football almost all season. For that my friends, there is no excuse.

So what comes next? For the second year in a row we will have a high draft pick. I think it's time to plan for the future. Draft a QB to groom to be Hasselbeck's replacement. Focus on rebuilding the O-line, and for the sake of my sanity find someone who can rush the passer.

We wait for a new GM to be hired, and the fate of Jim Mora as the head coach, so until these things are resolved I won't speculate on names of who could be signed, traded for, or drafted. I don't see a quick fix in this. They must rebuild. Get young. Get healthy.

Many steps backwards were taken this season, and before forward progress can be made many things need to change. When 2009 started I felt we were not far away. I was wrong. A long road lays ahead.