Carroll & Bates to Join Seattle Seahawks | NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings

Yesterday we all heard the rumors that USC's head coach Pete Carroll was possibly heading to coach the Seattle Seahawks. This news broke soon after Seattle fired their head coach Jim Mora Jr. after one year at the position.

Today, rumors turned into almost a certainty as news broke that Carroll is now 100 percent committed to going to the Seahawks and leaving the Trojans behind.

Assuming this deal is done, Adam Schefter of ESPN also broke interesting news that offensive coordinator (from USC) Jeremy Bates is expected to join up with Carroll in Seattle. If Bates does, in fact, go to Seattle, then it could be a blow to the Chicago Bears.

I say this because, Bates was Jay Cutler's quarterback coach in Denver and the two worked very well together. Even before Bears ex-offensive coordinator Ron Turner was fired this week, it was rumored that the Bears would pursue Bates to take the offensive coordinator job in Chicago.

Assuming Carroll and Bates Join Seattle

I'm not sure if Carroll and Bates can turn this team around in the next few years and make them a playoff contender. That being said I do believe this organization has a much better chance of turning things around with these two men then they had with Mora Jr. at the helm.

If this team is going to compete anytime soon, they need to start playing much better on the defensive side of the football and fix a beat up offensive line.

Left tackle Walter Jones is all but washed up (health wise) and if this team can't protect quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck, than they will continue to struggle and turn the football over.

Not only that but this group needs a physical running back that can pound the football between the tackles. This would be a great compliment to slash running back Justin Forsett.

Having the ability to run the football will be vital as it will keep Hasselbeck on his feet and give the defense a chance to stay rested.

Getting The Band Back Together

Soon, we should know just how much power the Seahawks organization is willing to hand over to Carroll as it is rumored, he may not get the full control he wants.

As far as I can tell, for fantasy football owners to take players from this team seriously at drafts next year, this team needs to have a strong offseason, in player movement. That basically means they need to sign and draft key players in free agency and through the draft.

From a fantasy perspective I could give a rip less if Carroll has or doesn't have full control in order to get this done. I just want to see if their is an ability to not only get quality players in but also coach them up, to help the team be productive.

2010 Fantasy Football Player Rankings

Cheap, cheap, and cheaper is what fantasy football owners should think to themselves about players on this team. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is probably the only name that will be drafted off this team in the first seven or eight rounds at fantasy drafts this year.

Other than that, running back Justin Forsett is an interesting sleeper, but I'm not sure Bates will give him enough touches to be more than a flex play against easy matchups.

For solid fantasy production from this team, serious improvment on the offensive line is vital. If Carroll and his team fail to improve this area it will be very hard for anyone to produce, consistently, for your fantasy team.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com