Bleacher Report - Seattle Seahawks

If Jake Locker Enters The Draft, The Seattle Seahawks Have To Take Him

Pete Treperinas — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:45:50 -0500

Let's face it Seahawks' fans—Matt Hasselbeck is old and on his way out.

At age 34, Hasselbeck has endured a plethora of injuries to say the least, and I can't imagine he has more than a couple seasons left in the tank. It's clear that Seattle will need a quarterback for the future, and Jake Locker is the answer.

After last week's loss to the Cardinals, it appears that Seattle is out of the NFC West race, and could very well be picking in the top-five or 10 in the draft again. Now, no one knows for sure if Locker will forego his last year at Washington to enter the draft, but if he does, chances are he'll be one of the first quarterbacks selected.

The Seahawks probably should have drafted a quarterback to start developing under Hasselbeck by now. His contract is up at the end of this year, and who knows what his plans are. And the chances that current back-up Seneca Wallace would be named the permanent predecessor are unlikely.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford injured his shoulder again this year, which will likely hurt his draft position. This means Locker, and possibly Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen could be the best names on the board when Seattle picks. And if draft history repeats itself, a quarterback is almost certain to go in the top-five.

A year with Steve Sarkisian has done wonders for Locker as a pocket passer. Sark moved Locker away from the mobile-style that former Washington coach Tyrone Willingham implemented for him.

Besides his strong arm, Locker runs about a 4.4 second 40-yard dash, making him just about as fast as anyone in the NFL.

The Seahawks have taken defensive players in the first round for the last two years, which has helped, but I think it's time for Seattle to draft a player that they can re-build the franchise around. That player has to be Locker.

While another year under Sarkisian at Washington would help Locker develop more, playing for a few seasons under a veteran and former pro bowler like Hasselbeck could show him a thing or two about how to be successful in the NFL.

Locker would have a chance to play in front of his home state where people already worship the ground he walks on, and he could be the player to someday change the way things have been going for the Seahawks lately.

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Seattle Seahawks: It's Not Time for Tim Ruskell To Leave

Chris Cluff — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:41:00 -0500

With the Seahawks’ season basically over thanks to a sixth loss in nine games, many fans are calling for the head of general manager Tim Ruskell (pictured, center). They’re also calling for the Seahawks to fire coach Jim Mora after one season, overhaul the defense to a 3-4 scheme, draft a new quarterback, and bring in a bunch of new players.

That’s all the fans want?

Of course, that’s what happens when a team has just seven wins in its last 25 games. Fans just want to win, so they overreact: “Blow up the team! Get rid of the GM, the coach, and the quarterback! Start all over.”

Obviously, it has worked so well for teams like Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Oakland, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay. Yeah, let’s be like them.

The fact is: This team does not need to be blown up. And, as much as most fans want to hang Ruskell in effigy in hopes of exorcising the demons of the past season and a half, that is not going to happen.

Ruskell will be back.

While he has made plenty of mistakes in his five-year tenure as president/GM, there are far too many reasons to keep him running the show for a couple more years.

Yeah, he hasn’t done well with his first-round picks, he has overpaid some free agents, and he has let the offensive line deteriorate to the point that it is the team’s weakest link and the main reason the Seahawks are 3-6 this year.

But he also helped the Hawks get to the Super Bowl in his first year and has found draft gems like Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, Josh Wilson, John Carlson, Aaron Curry, and Max Unger. He also finagled another first-round pick for next April. He should get a chance to see what he can do with it.

Fans will argue that Ruskell does not deserve to come back (almost 80 percent don’t want him back, according to this Seattle Times poll ).

But the reality is: He has to come back. And he will be back.

Ruskell hired Jim Mora to replace Mike Holmgren, and Mora isn’t going to be fired after one tough-luck season. (Any fan who wants to fire Mora after one season needs to go root for Al Davis’ Raiders, who change coaches as often as Victoria’s Secret models change underwear. You wanna root for panties? Go to Oakland. Or watch the Lingerie League.)

Seahawks owner Paul Allen and CEO Tod Leiweke understand stability is a major key to winning. They aren’t going to listen to a bunch of emotional fans who, while understandably upset that their team is struggling right now, want to scrap everything and start over—again.

Ruskell addressed those fans indirectly in an interview with Seahawks.com last week, saying, “I know the frustration of the fans, but you have to exercise some patience here. It’s going to happen.”

Yes, it will.

When a team changes coaches and coordinators and installs new systems on both sides of the ball, it takes time to develop. When key injuries strike, it takes more time.

“It comes in bits and parts. It doesn’t just come all at once,” Ruskell said. “And I think that explains our inconsistency and a little bit of the roller coaster that this team is on.”

As much as the Seahawks tried to make the switch seamless, with Mora already knowing the players after two years as an assistant, it isn’t always that easy. As Ruskell pointed out, of the 11 teams with new coaches this season, only two currently have winning records (Indianapolis at 9-0 and Denver at 6-3).

Mora was given a five-year contract, and he deserves a couple of years to stabilize this team and reestablish it as a playoff contender. And the guy who hired him should be there, too, because a new GM would just want to rebuild the franchise in his image with his own coach, which would merely set back the development process.

“I think people have to know that we have a plan,” Ruskell said, obviously trying to publicly reason with fans. “It’s a good plan. And we are following it…Jim and I are in lockstep on the plan, as is everybody in this building. And we feel good about it. We won’t be distracted from it.”

He added, as if talking to the fans directly, “You can’t just react to, ‘Well, we didn’t win that game, let’s change everything, let’s get this guy.’ You can’t do that. Then that change becomes change for the sake of change, and that’s what you are.

“What’s the saying? ‘The more you change, the more you stay the same.’ You have to stick with the plan through the thick and the thin, and we’re doing that.”

It’s easy to look back at Ruskell’s failures in hindsight and declare how terrible he has been. But, as we pointed out previously , he has had his successes, too. In fact, many of his failed moves made sense at the time he made them.

In his five years in Seattle, Ruskell has been simply average—not terrible, not great, just average. But he had an excellent offseason this year and deserves a chance to prove he can be better than average and help the Seahawks get back to the Super Bowl, like he did in his first year.

DREAMING OF RUSKELL’S REPLACEMENT?

For the 80 percent of you who want to replace Ruskell with a new general manager, here are some guys who might be worth considering:

Tom Heckert, Philadelphia
Heckert is the Eagles’ general manager, but he plays second fiddle to Grand Poobah Andy Reid, so he probably could be lured to another franchise. The Eagles are one of the top teams in the league at drafting, developing, and retaining good, young players. Heckert would certainly be worth a look.

Eric DaCosta, Baltimore
DaCosta, 38, has been with Ozzie Newsome for 14 years. He was Baltimore’s director of college scouting for six years before being named director of player personnel last January. Newsome is one of the very best general managers in the NFL. He built one of the greatest defenses in NFL history and has kept it strong for most of this decade despite losing players to free agency every couple of years. So why not check out his protege?

Ed McGuire, San Diego
McGuire has been with the Chargers since 1998, and became GM A.J. Smith’s No. 2 man in 2008, in charge of player contracts and football administration. The Chargers have done a great job of assembling talent this decade, and McGuire’s experience under Smith would seem to make him worth considering.

Tom Telesco, Indianapolis
Telesco is the Colts’ director of player personnel, a key figure in one of the top personnel departments in the NFL. The Colts always seem to have players ready to replace too-expensive free agents, and the unknown Telesco has been a key part of Bill Polian’s operation.

Kevin Abrams, N.Y. Giants
Under GM Jerry Reese, the Giants have put together a solid roster. As the assistant GM and chief contracts guy, Abrams has been a key to making the pieces of the financial puzzle fit. He probably would need a strong personnel man to help him, but Abrams comes from a successful personnel department.

Doug Whaley, Pittsburgh
Whaley, a former scout for the Seahawks, is Pittsburgh’s director of pro personnel—a position once held by Tom Donahoe and Tom Modrak before they went on to bigger things (Donahoe as GM and president of the Bills, and Modrak as GM of the Eagles). The Steelers have long been excellent judges of talent, so the 37-year-old Whaley would be worth a look on that pedigree alone.

Howie Roseman, Philadelphia
Roseman is a former contracts guy who was promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2008. At that time, Reid said, “Howie has demonstrated a sharp eye for talent evaluation along with a knack for creative draft and free agent strategies.” He would need a strong personnel man, but Roseman has learned from the successful strategy of Reid and Heckert.

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Start'Em: Justin Forsett a Waiver Wire Gem | NFL Fantasy Football Rankings

Fantasy-Info .com — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:23:32 -0500

The time has come for the Seattle Seahawks to start their best running back. Finally, Justin Forsett will be given an opportunity to produce as the starter and help fantasy football squads.

This opportunity has come about because of an unfortunate injury to Julius Jones last week against the Cardinals . In that game Jones injured his rib and went to the hospital with bleeding in his lung.

Forsett took over as the starter and went on to rush the football 17 times for 123 yards rushing and a touchdown. This production was excellent, especially when you consider that Cardinals were the third best team against the run coming into that game.

Beyond Forsett's solid rushing totals, he is also very good out of the backfield, as he's totaled five receptions in each of his last two contests.

Justin Forsett Equals Steve Slaton?

Forsett's skill set is very comparable to the way Steve Slaton played a season ago. When Slaton was on top of his game a year ago, he was one of the top 10 fantasy football running backs in the league.

Forsett may not be that good, but I fully believe he can be a top 20 fantasy back in the future. All he needs is an opportunity to show that he can handle the load and prove he can physically hold up to the challenge.

Fantasy Football Strategy

If Forsett is still a waiver wire option in your fantasy football league, then I suggest you nab him right now. This kid is an instant flex play option for this week, even if the Seahawks are playing the Vikings .

Minnesota's run defense is still solid this season (ninth in the league), but they are having problems dealing with runners that can get out on the edge. This is the reason why Ray Rice was able to gash this defense a few weeks back.

Not only has Rice had success against this defense, but Rashard Mendenhall and Kevin Smith have found success as well.

Forsett probably won't go over 100 yards rushing, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has over 100 total yards from scrimmage.

Next week Forsett has a great matchup against the Rams and is a no-brainer start.

Reports out of Seattle are saying that Jones may be ready for that game, but with his lung issue, that is wishful thinking right now.

If Forsett has success in the next two weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if Jones comes back and finds out that he's lost his starting job—reason being that Forsett is a better running back than Jones at this point in his career.

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

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Mora, Seahawks Don't Have Time To Be "Optimistic"

NW Sports Report — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:10 -0500

At 3-6 the Seattle Seahawks have taken yet another step back since their Super Bowl run in 2005. Whether it be injuries, poor performance or losing key players the Seahawks have fallen from the elite of the NFL down to the level of the Bills, Redskins and Raiders.

After going 4-12 in 2008 the Seahawks decided not to rebuild but more retool and re boost to make a quick turn around, making it seem like nothing happened. Well that plan has completely backfired on Mora, Ruskell and the Seahawks organization.

Not only are the Seahawks 3-6 but they have looked horrendous on both sides of the ball this entire season. They have have two fluke blowouts against the St Louis Rams (1-7) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4).

Outside of those two games the Seahawks have looked confused, lost and just down right depressing against the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals (in Seattle), Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions.

The only game in which the Seahawks lost that they should considerable fight in would be their last game against the Arizona Cardinals, in Arizona.

The Seahawks contained an elite QB in Kurt Warner for the majority of the first half. With about two minutes left in the half the Seahawks looked completely lost and pulled one out of the hat with a holding call on the Cardinals which forced them to lose their touchdown to Steve Breaston and settle for a Neil Rackers field goal making it 17-10 at half.

In the second half it carried over and the Seahawks never looked the same. They got no pressure on Kurt Warner and fell of their containment of Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Anquan Boldin.

However the blame went 90 percent no Matt Hasselbeck for botching the final two drives.

So the point of all this? Well Seahawks head coach Jim Mora Jr. has been completely content on saying week in and week out that he is still very optimistic of this football team despite their terrible start.

Every smart head coach in the NFL knows when you have to stop being "optimistic" and start showing why you are.

Now it would be smart for Mora to say he's " optimistic" about the future of this football team (2010, 2011) instead of 2009. This team is missing a considerable about of talent and it's hard to run the table and go 10-6 when you don't have the personnel to do so.

Yes, the Seahawks have all 53 active roster players healthy despite Josh Wilson and Marcus Trufant having concussions from the Arizona game. But with LT Walter Jones on IR as well as MLB Lofa Tatupu this team is still missing a few players.

Not only that, but the fact that Matt Hasselbeck couldn't beat out JaMarcus Russell in a QB competition, which really means that he's on the far down side of his career and really doesn't have the skills to play 2-3 more years like Mora and a lot of fans believe.

Not only has Hasselbeck lost his skills but when you say you still think you can win the NFC West and then follow that up by having your two best targets (John Carlson and Nate Burleson) record a combine one reception for 31 yards and a touchdown you will not win the game no matter how many yards TJ and Forsett have.

In all sense Jim Mora Jr. needs to either start getting his team to show some form of heart or fight or shut up. It's that simple.

The Buffalo Bills just fired Dick Jauron after the Bills started 3-6. If the Seahawks lose to both Minnesota and St Louis these next two weeks I would be expecting a damn good explanation from Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell on why he's still the coach in Seattle.

Either way Jim Mora Jr. and Tim Ruskell might be looking for new jobs with new teams this off season if they don't get this team fighting and fighting fast.

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

Cut Seattle Sports Fans Some Slack

Paul Taylor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:05:57 -0500

The Seahawks play in Minnesota this weekend, and seeing Steve Hutchinson in a Vikings uniform will once again bring back memories of how the team screwed up in allowing him to leave.

The move has been analysed from every conceivable angle, and the general public is at the point of collectively saying, "Enough already Seattle! It’s been four years! Let it go!"

I can agree with this sentiment to a certain extent. However, maybe Seattle sports fans should be forgiven for continually torturing themselves with what they perceive as the first step towards the situation the Seahawks currently find themselves in.

You see, when it comes right down to it, Seattle sports fans have never really had much to cheer about. This is not a dig at the city in any way, which supports its teams through thick and thin.

They regularly sell out Seahawks and Sounders games and averaged over 27,000 a game for the Mariners in 2009. This is very impressive and shows the loyalty of fans in the Washington state area.

I also can’t discount the fact that there has been a certain amount of regular season success over the years. However, in the history of professional franchises in Seattle, there have only ever been two championships.

At the risk of edging Seattle fans closer to the cliff ledge by bringing this up again, one of the championships was won by the Sonics, who are no longer in the city.

The other one? The Seattle Metropolitans, who folded in 1924. However, they do hold the distinction of being the first United States team to win the Stanley Cup, in 1917.

Think about this for a minute. Two championships. That’s it. And neither team still resides in the area (or exists). When you consider that Seattle has a fully deserved reputation as one of the best cities in North America, it just doesn’t seem, well, acceptable.

Is it any wonder that Seattle fans analyse every move ever made, which potentially cost them a chance at more success? And you thought it was just the weather that contributed to Seattle’s high suicide rate.

While Seahawks fans still curse the departure of Hutchinson, Sonics supporters cite the signing of center Jim McIlvaine as the first step that started a catastrophic sequence of events that resulted in the team leaving town.

Turning to the Mariners, people in other cities cannot understand why the Emerald City is so pumped up about re-signing a 40-year-old Ken Griffey Jr., who is injury-prone and obviously on his last legs. Let me put you straight: He is a link to the golden period in Mariners history between 1995-2001.

The team has only qualified for the playoffs four times in their history, and Griffey was there for two of them. (For the record, the Mariners finally look like they have turned the corner under the direction of Jack Zduriencik. But there is still work to be done to get back to contender status.)

The Mariners are also an example of how things still go wrong for Seattle sports fans, even when they appear to be going right. Look no further than 2001, when the team equalled the MLB record for most wins in a season with 116. They seemed destined to finally reach a World Series, but come the playoffs, the Yankees easily disposed of them in the ALCS.

At the risk of bringing up another subject that just won’t die, the residents of Seattle still can’t forget (or forgive) how they were screwed out of a Vince Lombardi trophy. On that fateful day in February 2006, the officials’ performance at Super Bowl XL was nothing short of abysmal.

To sum up what Seattle sports fans have to put up with, 2008 was arguably the worst sports year any city has ever had to endure:

The Seattle Seahawks went 4-12 in a season devastated by injuries. To top it off, the most successful coach in team history, Mike Holmgren, left.

The Seattle Mariners became the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a payroll of over $100 million, finishing the year 61-101.

The Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma. No further comment needed.

This doesn’t include college football's Washington Huskies team, who became the first 0-12 team in Pac-10 history. They finished the 2008 season as the only team in the entire nation without a win.

So the next time you hear any Seattle sports fans bemoaning their teams’ bad luck, cut them some slack. Wouldn’t you be the same in their position?

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

Cut Seattle Sports Fans Some Slack

Paul Taylor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:59:08 -0500

The Seahawks play in Minnesota this weekend, and seeing Steve Hutchinson in a Vikings uniform will once again bring back memories of how the team screwed up in allowing him to leave.

The move has been analyzed from every conceivable angle and the general public is at the point of collectively saying "enough already, Seattle! It’s been four years! Let it go!"

You see, when it comes right down to it, Seattle sports fans have never really had much to cheer about. This is not a dig at the city, which supports its teams through thick and thin, in any way.

Seahawks and Sounders games regularly sell out, and Mariners games drew an average of more than 27,000 fans in 2009. This is very impressive and shows the loyalty of fans in the Washington State area.

At the risk of edging Seattle fans closer to the cliff ledge by bringing this up again, one of the championships was won by the Sonics, who are no longer in the city.

The other one? The Seattle Metropolitans hockey team, which folded in 1924. However, the Metropolitans do hold the distinction of being the first United States team to win the Stanley Cup, in 1917.

Is it any wonder that Seattle fans analyze every move ever made, which potentially cost them a chance at more success? And you thought it was just the weather that contributes to Seattle’s high suicide rate.

While Seahawks fans still curse the departure of Hutchinson, Sonics supporters site the signing of center Jim Mcllvaine as the first step in a catastrophic sequence of events that resulted in the team leaving town.

Turning to the Mariners, people in other cities cannot understand why the Emerald City is so pumped up about re-signing a 40-year old Ken Griffey Jr, who is injury-prone and obviously on his last legs. Let me put you straight: he is a link to the golden period in Mariners history between 1995-2001.

The team has only qualified for the playoffs four times in its history, and Griffey was there for two of them. (For the record, the Mariners finally look like they have turned the corner under the direction of Jack Zduriencik. But there is still work to be done to get back to contender status.)

The Mariners are also an example of how things still go wrong for Seattle sports fans, even when they appear to be going right.

Look no further than 2001, when the team equalled the MLB record for most wins in a season with 116. The Mariners seemed destined to finally reach a World Series, but come the playoffs, the Yankees easily disposed of them in the ALCS.

And at the risk of bringing up another subject that just won’t die, the residents of Seattle still can’t forget (or forgive) how they were screwed out of a Vince Lombardi trophy. On that fateful day in February 2006, the officials’ performance at Super Bowl XL was nothing short of abysmal.

To sum up what Seattle sports fans have to put up with, 2008 was arguably the worst sports year any city has ever had to endure:

The Seattle Seahawks went 4-12 in a season devastated by injuries. And to top it off, the most successful coach in team history, Mike Holmgren, left.
The Seattle Mariners became the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a payroll of over $100 million, finishing the year 61-101.
The Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma. No further comment needed.

And this doesn’t include college football's Washington Huskies team, which became the first 0-12 team in Pac-10 history. It finished the 2008 season as the only team in the entire nation without a win.

So the next time you hear any Seattle sports fans bemoaning their teams’ bad luck, cut them some slack. Wouldn’t you be the same in their position?

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

Darnell Dockett Has Something To Teach Us

Sam Woods — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:38:26 -0500

Over the last couple of days, I've heard a lot of whining from Seahawks fans over Darnell Dockett pressing a forearm to Matt Hasselbeck's throat.

Honestly, it has been blown way out of proportion.

I'm not saying it was the right thing to do, even in a rivalry game. However, when trying to recover a lost fumble, there are a lot worse things that happen at the bottom of that pile, even in a Browns/Bucs type of game.

Remember in the preseason, when TJ Houshmandzadeh was supposedly bringing a "no man left behind" attitude to the Seahawks? Well where was it there? The offensive line can't let Dockett get there in the first place; and most certainly shouldn't let anyone (let alone a cocky Cardinal defensive lineman) give any kind of harm to your QB without immediately getting flopped back on the ground.

This kind of softness needs to die along with the Holmgren era. Under Mike Holmgren, the team was built to not get stupid penalties, to throw the rock around and move the chains. You were there to do a job, not to get chippy.

It needs to end. Like it or not, under Knapp we are headed towards being a four yards at a time running team that doesn't take crap from anyone. This sort of east coast idea of football has been brought to the division with Whisenhunt, Singletary and Spagnuolo. It needs to happen in Seattle if we are to remain competitive in the division.

I pray Ruskell realizes this and backs off his only welcoming of the good guys in the NFL to Seattle. This season is a lost cause. This offseason, a change is in order.

It's time Seattle, put down your coffee and throw out your Fruit Loops. Tomorrow's breakfast is a heaping bowl of rusty nails and a can of Coors.

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

Seattle Seahawks' Midseason Review: Jim Mora Optimistic Despite 3-6 Start

Matt Rybaltowski — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:52:47 -0500

Several times during his first season as head coach of the Seahawks, Jim Mora has referred to himself as an optimist—an assertion that has been continually tested during a 3-6 start. The team has lost Pro Bowlers Walter Jones and Lofa Tatupu to season-ending injuries, while 12 Seattle starters have missed a combined 43 games.

But even in the team’s bleakest moment, a 31-20 defeat to the Cardinals that virtually sealed its playoff fate, Mora remained upbeat. “As strange as it may sound coming off a loss, I saw improvement,” he said.

With seven regular-season games remaining, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said the team can win all seven if their level of play is on par with last Sunday’s performance against the defending NFC champions. It might be the only way to avoid ending the year without a playoff berth for the second straight season.

Midseason Review

Quarterback

When Matt Hasselbeck returned to the lineup in week five after fracturing two ribs just three weeks earlier, Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp called it “one of the guttiest performances,” he had seen in his career. Hasselbeck has also battled through a sore right throwing shoulder suffered from a hit against Dallas and received a forearm in the throat from Cardinals defensive end Darnell Dockett.

Nevertheless, the quarterback completed a career-high 39 passes to lead the Seahawks to a 17-point comeback win over the Lions and orchestrated a 41-0 romp over the Jaguars. Hasselbeck’s accuracy on deep passes, though, has been suspect and his 34-year old legs are showing wear.

Backup Seneca Wallace has looked good in Wildcat situations, but couldn’t lead the Seahawks over the Bears in week three. Looking back, the Bears loss is extremely damaging to the Seahawks’ playoff hopes.

Grade: B

Running Back

Knapp said it usually takes his teams six to eight weeks to become fully accustomed to his zone-blocking scheme, but the current situation will take longer because of the injuries on the offensive line.

The Seahawks were down to fourth-string left tackle Kyle Williams in week six against the Cardinals and started the same offensive line combination last week for the first time since week two.

Still, Julius Jones has struggled with his downfield burst and the Edgerrin James experiment failed. Justin Forsett impressed the coaching staff with his speed and his elusiveness in rushing for a career-high in yards last week and Louis Rankin has added a spark to the special teams.

Grade: C-minus

Offensive Line

It would be tough for any offensive line to bounce back after losing starting left tackle Walter Jones for the season and left guard Mike Wahle to retirement. The two have combined for 11 Pro Bowls and Jones is regarded by many coaches as one of the best to ever play the position.

Seattle has also lost third-string left tackle Brandon Frye for the season and starters Sean Locklear, Rob Sims and Chris Spencer have missed a combined 10 games. The offensive line’s inability to protect the quarterback, though, single-handedly cost the Seahawks two home losses against the Bears and Cardinals.

Despite the losses at left tackle, Seattle struggled against the rush up the middle versus Dallas.

Grade: C

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Nate Burleson has recovered well from last year’s season-ending knee injury in week one against the Bills and is one of the team’s top leaders in the locker room. Burleson ranked third in the NFC in catches before being shut out by the Cardinals last week and has looked sharp on intermediate routes across the middle.

Though T.J. Houshmandzadeh has struggled to develop chemistry with Hasselbeck, he is projected to finish with just under 89 catches for the season. The offseason addition has caught at least 90 passes in the last three years. Deion Branch has not been the same since suffering a knee injury and has just 22 catches.

Look for the team to use rookie Deon Butler more in the second half of the year. Since tight end John Carlson was forced to stay on the line and chip for added protection, his numbers have dwindled slightly. Carlson is still on pace for more catches and yards than his encouraging rookie year.

Grade: B-minus

Defensive Line

After a strong start, the defensive line has failed to produce a sack in its last three games. Defensive End Lawrence Jackson had three sacks in the first two games of the season, but just one since. He’s tied for the team lead with Patrick Kerney, who has been plagued by a groin injury.

Although Darryl Tapp put constant pressure on Jaguars QB David Garrard with his speed rush, he has done little since. Neither Colin Cole, nor Brandon Mebane has stuffed the run as hoped for at the start of the season.

Grade: C-plus

Linebackers

David Hawthorne, the replacement at middle linebacker for Lofa Tatupu, has probably been the brightest spot on the Seahawks’ roster through nine games. In three games as a starter, Hawthorne has three sacks, three interceptions and 36 tackles. Mora has also lauded Hawthorne for his arduous study of the playbook while away from the team.

Leroy Hill has rebounded well from a groin injury and had a shoestring tackle to prevent Cardinals RB Tim Hightower from scoring on 4th-and-goal from the one-yard line last week. Aaron Curry has had an up-and-down rookie year. While he has displayed a constant motor, he has also been out of position at times and has missed key tackles against Frank Gore and Chris Wells.

Grade: B-minus

Secondary

Before intercepting Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford five times two weeks ago, the Seahawks were tied for last in the league with three. Defensive Coordinator Casey Bradley wanted his defensive backs to do a better job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and Josh Wilson complied with a 61-yard interception for a touchdown against Detroit. Much like the offensive line, the secondary has been beset by injury.

Marcus Trufant did not return until week eight and Wilson (ankle) and Ken Lucas (neck) have also missed time. If Trufant continues to get whistled for pass interference penalties later in the season he can’t attribute it to rust.

The Seahawks are ranked 22nd against the pass, but have faced Kurt Warner twice, Peyton Manning once and the Cowboys’ improved passing attack.

Grade: B-minus

Special Teams

Punter Jon Ryan ranks fourth in the NFL with a 46.7 gross average and might be the Seahawk with the best shot at making the Pro Bowl. Kicker Olindo Mare has made 13 straight field goals since Mora lambasted him for missing two against the Bears in week three. Both the punt and kickoff return teams have struggled.

The coverage team surrendered a punt return for a touchdown by Patrick Crayton that put the game against the Cowboys out of reach.

Grade: A-minus

Coaching

Mora cannot be blamed for the rash of injuries the team has encountered. He has tried to stay balanced on offense, but early deficits have forced Knapp to depend more on the pass. Mora admitted he shouldn’t have gone for a fourth down in their own end against the Lions, but the team was in a desperate situation.

He has been a great motivator in the locker room and held up his promise of cutting players who didn’t perform by releasing Edgerrin James. The coaching staff also had creative game plans in both road games at Dallas and Arizona, despite coming up short. A close loss to Arizona might be an indication that the team is headed in the right direction. ####

Grade: B

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Waiver Wire Help Needed: We Have You Covered, IDP Included

Fantasy Football — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:30 -0500

Welcome one and all to Top Fantasy’s Special Waiver Wire Edition; a column we will be running for the remainder of the season to afford you—the Intrepid Fantasy Manager—an insider’s look at players who are undoubtedly on your waiver list that you may not be aware of, and may not have even considered.

At this point in the season, everyone is going to do just about anything they can to give them that edge, and the waiver wire is the best place to start—the rest is up to you.

As we gaze into the ever growing plethora of players becoming available, I want to focus on a couple of key players for both Offense and Defense , as well as two players that could be a nice quick fill-in for this week.

So here it is, the no frills, no messing around Waiver Wire Edition, enjoy!

(Okay, so next week we’ll get a bit more creative, but let’s lay the ground work first!)

The Potential Offensive Diamonds in the Rough

Lance Long, WR - Kansas City: If you’re wondering why I’m not mentioning Chris Chambers , it’s due largely to the fact that he has shown a significant increase in waiver-wire activity since the announcement of Dwayne Bowe’s sudden suspension; if he is still available please grab him now….go hurry, I’ll wait for you to come back. I promise!

Lance Long has been a PPR leaguer’s dream playing primarily in the slot, and considering KC’s penchant for utilizing the check down/over-the-middle option at receiver, Long becomes an absolute must over the next couple of days.

Long has 12 catches for 104 yards over three games and considering the Chiefs will play mostly from behind the rest of the way, the chances for Long to come up big every week is huge; the fact that Bowe is out for a month makes his chances undeniable. Pick him up and stash him.

Brandon Gibson, WR - St. Louis: Although it appears the Rams and Spags aren’t ready to commit to Gibson just yet, the fact remains that Spags really has no choice. Burton is done, and Avery alone won’t cut it, which means Gibson should start seeing time very soon, if not this week.

The reason for this mention is this: He is a guy worth taking a chance on as a role player if you have a matchup that you would rather replace, and since the Rams have just started to find their passing mojo, he could be a huge sleeper.

There are other options for the club to consider, but the likelihood that Gibson gets the nod is higher than said options.

James Casey, TE - Houston: Hopefully, you’re not in one of those leagues where the other managers like to immediately grab handcuffs for no reason, and hopefully you will go and grab this guy right…about…NOW!

The Texans and Kubiak have already said James Casey will” become a big part of what we do over the next seven games.”

Casey has sure hands and has already shown himself to be a competent fill in for the injured Daniels. The Texans rely heavily on their use of the TE, and considering the TE position has been fantasy gold this year he is a no brainer pick up this week—if he is still available.

Maurice Stovall, WR - Tampa Bay: Stovall has made good on his new starting opportunity despite his numbers not showing it. The Buccaneers have had a huge problem with consistency at the WR position all year long, and Stovall has shown a great deal of consistency since playing.

He is the guy who has kept Tampa competitive in their last two games; he has great size and speed, and despite the rest of the fantasy world discouraging you away from him, I say pick him up especially in deeper leagues. After New Orleans, the Bucs face a weak Atlanta secondary, and an even weaker Carolina secondary after that.

Justin Forsett, RB - Seattle: The Seahawks are ready to see what type of load Forsett is able to handle, which means if you are suffering at RB, Forsett is worthy of a pickup.

The emphasis the past two weeks in fantasy have been goal line backs, and although I think the passing game will pick up again, the Seahawks love this guy and what he can do in the open field AND in the trenches.

Forsett is a great pickup for all formats including PPR, Standard, TDO, and even Dynasty considering the Seahawks will look towards the future with Forsett.

The Defensive Gems Waiting To Be Picked.

Landon Johnson, LB - Carolina: Last week I mentioned Johnson and it paid off with him having six tackles and an assist showing the importance of the WLB position in the Carolina Cover Two scheme.

Going forward he is definitely your man, and if you didn’t listen last week don’t miss out this week as he is sure to provide for the remainder of the year.

Dwan Edwards, DL/DP - Baltimore : Suggs is gone thanks to a cheap shot by Brady Quinn and Pryce isn’t going to be the man to take his place, Edwards is.

The DE/DT spot has been overlooked this year in regard to Fantasy points and Edwards is a solid pick in a scheme that focuses on pass pressure up front. He is sure to be available in nearly all leagues and formats.

Pat Watkins, DB - Dallas: Ken Hamlin is done and Watkins is the guy to take over playing opposite of Gerald Sensabaugh. I picked this guy up a couple of week ago in my ESPN league along with Sensabaugh and he has been a good source of points in a mild fill in role—now he is an everyday starter.

There have been a ton of injuries to DB’s and if you’re one of those managers suffering through that, Watkins is a solid pickup in IDP leagues.

Dannell Ellerbe, LB - Baltimore: Ellerbe is another plug-in name afforded by the much maligned Baltimore defense. But despite that fact, the Ravens play their Linebackers with full faith and role a lot of traffic to their notice making ANY LB worth a pickup in Baltimore so long as they are starting; Ellerbe is no different.

Tavares Gooden, the man he is replacing, is dealing with a concussion that is a lot worse than the team thought, so Ellerbe’s stay could be longer than you would think.

Brandon Johnson, LB - Cincinnati: Keith Rivers is still dealing with a nasty calf injury and Johnson is as solid as a fill in as it gets. Although his role may be temporary, he is worth a transitory pickup at LB if you’re hurting.

The Bengals have extremely favorable matchups against Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit over the next 3 weeks, making Johnson an intriguing pick.

Fantasy Quick Shots For What Ails Ya!

Jason Snelling, RB - Atlanta: Snelling gets the nod as Michael Turner will sit this week—or possibly longer—and is worth a one week pick up if you’re hurting at RB.

Turner could play, but it is very unlikely, and Snelling isn’t close to coming back from the hip injury which means the Falcons will play Snelling. He will also be a featured option out of the flats and in goal line situations making him a nice PPR pick up.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB - Buffalo: Fitzpatrick has shown himself—both last year and this year—to be a quality backup, and with a change in the guard in Buffalo and Mr. Checkdown NOT being on the field, the chances of the strong arm QB going downfield and finally using the weapons the Bills actually have is a very high probability.

If you need another QB or just a week fill in this is the guy you want.

Good luck this week everyone, and be sure to check back for updates or additions as they may come. Look for the word UPDATE in the title going forward.

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Seattle Seahawks Jim Mora Showing the Right Attitude after Arizona Loss

Paul Taylor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:41:14 -0500

Seattle head coach Jim Mora has been getting a lot of flack about his attitude since the team’s heartbreaking loss in Arizona to the Cardinals. This criticism is totally unwarranted.

Mora is, in effect, being told that he shouldn't be so positive after a defeat which, the law of averages will tell you, means there is little hope of making the postseason this year.

While a playoff spot is more than likely out of reach in 2009, it is crazy for him to receive so much negative press for having a glass-half-full mentality. Is this not what you want from a head coach?

I appreciate that sometimes you need to look at situations with a bit of objectivity, but if I had a choice between playing for a coach who is always down or someone who continues to try and inspire the troops, I would go with the latter every day of the week and twice on a Sunday.

Sports teams are roundly criticised when they have nothing left to play for in a season and effectively ‘mail it in.’ When this happens, the team is not only cheating themselves, but also the fans who pay hard-earned money to go and watch their favourite team in action.

At least there is no chance of this happening when the Seattle fans’ go to Qwest Field on a Sunday to watch their beloved Seahawks in action.

Despite the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s defeat, it also appears that Mora’s positive vibe has rubbed off on the players. When interviewed after the game, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck commented, “It was more fun to be out there today. I felt we were in a zone.”

He finished off by stating that the team were going to keep fighting, a welcome remark.

Cornerback Marcus Trufant echoed this sentiment, saying, “There’s no quit in this team. We’ll go back to the drawing board and keep playing.”

T.J. Houshmandzadeh could never be accused of lacking confidence and this proved to be the case again after getting off the plane upon the teams return to Seattle. Jim Mora said in his press conference on Monday that the first thing T.J. told him was that, "We’re not going to lose another game."

Again, while this could be perceived as false/over-confidence, it sure beats the attitude of "what’s going to go wrong next?"

Following on from coach Mora’s lead, more people could do worse than look at the positives’ with the team from the Emerald City. Considering that Seattle started off the year enduring a similar injury epidemic to last season, they are still on course to finish with a better record than in 2008.

Of course, a lot of people will say that it isn’t hard to improve on a 4-12 season, but anything in excess of four wins has got to be seen as a positive step.

In fact, even the injuries suffered may well turn out to be good for Seattle in the long run. Look at the two star players who have been lost for the year, future hall-of-fame left tackle Walter Jones and middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

Jones may or may not have played the last game of his stellar career, only time will tell. Worst-case scenario though, heir-apparent Sean Locklear, just returned from injury himself now has the chance to get some invaluable experience at one of the key positions on a football team.

As for Tatupu, he will be back in 2010. However, in his absence, David Hawthorne is getting some much-needed reps and has been a real success story this year, leading the team in interceptions and tackles as well as ranking second in sacks.

This also opens the possibility of moving to a 3-4 defense next season, even if it is just for certain situations and/or teams. At the very least, Hawthorne will offer some real quality depth at the line-backing position after Tatupu returns.

Another injury which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, is the bruised lung suffered by running back Julius Jones, who will be out for at least the next game against Minnesota.

In Jones’s absence against Arizona, Justin Forsett ran for 123 yards, a career-high, which incidentally was more than Jones has rushed for in any one game this season.

The second-year player also received support from rookie Louis Rankin, who added a further 24 yards on the ground. By the end of the game, Seattle’s average rushing yards per-game had risen from 84.5 to 93.3.

A lot of people, myself included, have wanted to see more of Forsett, feeling that Jones is no longer the player he was in his early years at the Dallas Cowboys. We will all get to find out about Forsett now, one way or another.

If another worst-case scenario transpires, Seattle then has the opportunity to spend the offseason finding a quality replacement for the running game.

Personally speaking, as far as I'm concerned, with seven games to go, Seattle is not, as yet, mathematically out of the playoffs. The very least Seahawk fans can do is to carry on cheering the team, until the situation changes.

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week 10 Results

Scotty Kimberly — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:36:36 -0500

Week 10 is in the books of the 2009 NFC West Featured-Columnist Competition.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the competition, click here for details, and please keep checking back for updates throughout the year!

The NFC West went 2-2 in Week 10, with another win for the division coming against themselves . San Francisco stood tall on Thursday Night Football , Arizona had a comeback win over Seattle, and St. Louis was admirable in defeat to the undefeated Saints. Not a good week, per se, but not a bad week at all.

Here are the results and honors from Week 10.

Week 10 Individual Standings (15 Games)

Andrew 13, Scotty 13, Rob 11, Chris 10, Ron 10, Seth 9, Steven 9, Dray 8

Week 10 Team Standings

Seattle 24, San Francisco 21, Arizona 19, St. Louis 19

Season Individual Standings

Andrew 109, Scotty 108, Rob 106. Seth 101, Chris 99, Steven 99, Ron 97, Dray 94

Season Team Standings

Seattle 214, San Francisco 203, Arizona 198, St. Louis 198

Monday Night Football Team Tiebreaker

St. Louis 20, Arizona 19, San Francisco 19, Seattle 19

Pick of the Week - Chris (Carolina over Atlanta) / Rob (Washington over Denver) / Scotty (Jacksonville over NY Jets)

Week 10 featured a staggering three Underdog Upset choices that were taken by only one team. In my opinion, the most impressive of these choices was Washington over Denver, followed closely by Carolina over Atlanta, then the not-too-impressive Jags over the Jets.

Some bold selections paid off for these contestants.

Fail of the Week - Ron/Steven (Oakland over Kansas City)

I kind of wish someone had taken the Browns, because that would have been an epic fail . But regardless, picking the Raiders is probably the next worse thing...

I get it. Matt Cassel sucks, Larry Johnson is gone, and there are a number of defensive busts on the field, but the Chiefs were still playing the Raiders .

This competition has already featured one contestant who proverbially wrote on the chalkboard "I will never pick the Raiders again... I will never pick the Raiders again..." and I think the competition would be better served if more people took this approach.

The Underdog Won't Go Away! - Five Underdog Choices

After a breakout week in Week Eight, the Underdog Bonus still doesn't want to go anywhere. This week, four different contestants capitalized on the Underdog Bonus, resulting in five total Underdog Scores.

Andrew (Cincinnati over Pittsburgh), Chris (Carolina over Atlanta), and Rob (Washington over Denver) all tallied one Underdog Bonus, while Scotty nailed two Underdog choices for the second time in three weeks (Cincinnati over Pittsburgh and Jacksonville over NY Jets).

Consider the fact that these four contestants finished first through fourth this week, and the Underdog Bonus becomes that much more appealing...

Hot Streak - Scotty (Nine Points Through Nine Afternoon Games)

The morning was promising for Scotty in Week 10, as he netted nine points through the first nine games of the week. He missed picks with Denver and Atlanta, but scored Underdog points with Jacksonville and Cincinnati to compensate, leaving him with a perfect nine-for-nine

Struck Out Swinging - Dray (Four Points Through Nine Afternoon Games)

Dray had a rough opening to Week 10, missing five of his first nine choices. He righted the ship in the afternoon games, landing all but two of the remaining games, but couldn't get over the slow start, and wound up in last place for the week.

What Might Have Been - Had New England Not Collapsed

I liked the call. There, I said it.

You have the best short-route passer in the NFL (Brady), the best slot receiver in the NFL (Welker), one of the best receivers out of the backfield in the NFL (Faulk), and a system designed for short, efficient throws (Belichick).

That being said, it busted, and Peyton Manning made them pay.

Had New England held on for the win, Chris, Scotty, and Seth all would have jumped up a point, while the rest of the competition fell. The results would not have been staggering for team standings (only San Francisco would have taken a serious blow), but Chris would have jumped to third for the week in individual standings.

It's a game of inches...

Good week, guys.

That's it for Week 10. Chip in on what you think.

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

Looking Ahead to the 2010 Seahawks

Ed Sellers — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:31:40 -0500

Well, I think we can really put this baby to bed. Seattle is 3-6, and it's very possible they won't win another game. How about that, Jimmy? You quite possibly are going to do worse than Holmgren did in his swan song.

The first order of business next season will be to show Mr. Ruskell the door. I won't cry too hard if it hits him on the way out.

Sure, like most GMs he picked some lemons and he picked some cherries. However when it comes to the GM gig, it's about the bottom line.

The bottom line is that with Ruskell, the 'Hawks don't win. They aren't building a team that is capable of doing this.

With an uncapped year, and deep pockets from the owner, this is a chance for Seattle to really put something together. They could sign several big contracts that are front-heavy to keep the players beyond the uncapped year and build quickly.

With that said, let's take a look at the team position by position to really figure out where this team is headed.

QB
Matt Hasselbeck is probably going to be back next year. Arguably if Seattle does select the QB of the future in next year's draft, they'll want No. 8 around to mentor him. I don't think you are going to see Seattle outright replace the QB who took them to a Super Bowl.

Seneca Wallace is decent, but he doesn't win games. We've seen that. He's a gimmick QB in our schemes. If he wants to start, he'll need to do it elsewhere.

I don't think you are going to see any immediate changes at this position unless something out of the ordinary happens. Jake Locker? Its a pipedream.

RB
I was excited to see Forsett run all over the Cardinals this past Sunday, however I don't think we quite have our answer yet. If he can show the same level of play for the rest of the year, then I'm more than happy to pause on building up the running game.

If Forsett does manage to step it up, we need a bulldozer like back for short yardage situations. It would be great to have a FB/TB type of player who catches well out of the backfield too, someone who is versatile, so we don't waste a roster spot on a one tool back.

Someone like Leonard Weaver. Oops. Justin Griffith has done fairly well, but I don't see him as that short yardage guy. This is something we could address in free agency or in the draft in the later rounds.

There is a wealth of young running backs that are free agents next year. LenDale White, Chester Taylor and Le'Ron McClain are all backs who could flourish in the system put in place in Seattle. They are multi-tool backs.

Don't rule out Mike Bell either. With the plethora of decent backs in New Orleans, it's unlikely they'll opt to keep both Bell and Pierre Thomas.

TE
Seattle is doing pretty well at TE. However, given their offensive line woes, I would like to see them try to use more two TE sets. If they can't repair the line, then work around it. Aaron Rodgers has been running for his life this season due to O-line problems, yet the Packers are doing much better than the Seahawks.

Tony Scheffler hasn't been used as much in Denver as he would have liked. He would be a great addition to Seattle as he has developed into a well balanced tight end. Bo Scaife and Alge Crumpler are up for renewal in Tennessee. I doubt they'll keep both.

Anthony Fasano from Miami is a strong pass catcher, although I imagine they'll make an attempt to resign him. Hopefully they'll avoid Benjamin Watson. He's a tremendous athlete, but his hands are questionable, and I'd rather not go back to the Stonehands Jackson and K-Drop Robinson era.

WR
Stop! We are fine at WR. We have way too many other areas to focus on to make this a concern. Burleson, Branch, Houshmandzadeh and Butler are a decent quartet. Granted Branch is always hurt, when he does play, he's fairly productive.

On the other hand, there are a ton of playmakers available at this position on the market. It wouldn't hurt to cut the oft-injured Branch and trade Mouthmandzadeh for some younger prospects.

Steve Breaston is a free agent. I'd be hard pressed to say he wants to continue to be a #3 man in Arizona. He's very talented, and it would be lovely to see him in Seattle torching the Cardinals defenders as a hilarious twist of fate.

Lance Moore is also available. He's had some big games in New Orleans, and he would be a great replacement for Deion Branch.

OL
Where do we begin?

Chris Spencer and Steve Vallos are not the answer at center. I'd love to see what Max Unger can do before we start hunting for a replacement.

Jahri Evans and Logan Mankins are both big name guards on the market. However, I'd expect the Saints and Pats to lock them up respectively. If they can somehow get their greasy hands on Mankins it might redeem them in some ways from the loss of Hutch.

Rob Sims is ok, but if we are going to migrate Unger to Center, it does leave a gap. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of opportunities to upgrade in free agency.This of course assumes that we choose to keep Sims.

I think it's entirely possible to see two new guards wearing Seattle blue next year. Daryn Colledge is a versatile lineman who could be a great addition, however his play has dropped off significantly this year for Green Bay.

At tackle, we are really looking at a rough future. Walter Jones is done. He might try to come back again next year, but the truth is, it's not going to be the Big Walt we know and love.

Sean Locklear hasn't shown that he can fill those shoes. He's most likely going to be back at Right Tackle. With a lack of really solid prospects I think they have to turn to the draft.

Personally, I'm hoping they target Bryan Bulaga from Iowa. He's a big burly fighter than could make a big impact on this team.

Bruce Campbell from Maryland is probably the best LT in the draft, but his pension for being hurt will affect his draft status. This should be a Do Not Draft warning for Seattle. They can't afford injury prone players at this point.

Russell Okong is another big name, but I don't think Seattle is going to get a chance to pick him. With Detroit all but assured to be ahead of Seattle in the draft order, they are going to be looking for a big LT to protect last year's investment.

Bryan Bulaga is my guy. He's the latest offensive lineman from Iowa, a school with a long standing history of producing NFL caliber linemen: Casey Wiegmann, Jay Hilgenberg, Eric Steinbach, John Alt, Robert Gallery, etc. Many have said that Bulaga is potentially the best offensive line prospect to come out of Iowa...including the great John Alt.

This is a guy who can learn the ropes while protecting Hasselbeck's twilight, and then transition into protecting the QB of the future.

Regardless of what Seattle does, this is going to be the biggest area of concern in the off season. They need to find a way to consistently protect the QB and open up lanes for their running backs. Without fixing this problem, they can not win football games. Period.

DE
Patrick Kerney might stick around for another season, but the truth is he doesn't have a long term future with this team. Cory Redding hasn't made much of a contribution either.

Lawrence Jackson has consistently gotten better, however I'm still not sold on him yet. I think he needs another season to really make a statement. Darryl Tapp had a solid season two years ago, but he was never really given a shot to stay in that role.

I like Tapp, but I think we can upgrade given what is out there on the market.

Elvis Dumervil is young and extremely versatile. He made the move to OLB in Denver, and to be honest, I was surprised he did so well. Denver is going to have to fork over the dough to keep him.

If Denver continues to nose dive, it would be likely to see them let Dumervil walk in favor of plugging the leaks. If they manage to hold on for the rest of the season, it's more likely that they'll retain Dumervil with a conservative approach towards upgrading for 2010.

Dumervil is what we haven't had in Seattle since Michael Sinclair, a young and aggressive end that heats up the rest of the D.

Michigan's Brandon Graham could be a steal in the second round if Seattle opts to use the draft.

DT
I like Brandon Mebane. I like Craig Terrill and Red Bryant.

I don't like Colin Cole. We need a monster in there.

Vince Wilfork isn't going anywhere. The Pats made their choice by trading Seymour while they still had the chance. Seymour however could be an option.

Seymour can play tackle and end, and would be a massive addition to Seattle. Given Seymour's age, and Oakland's situation, it's very likely that Seymour is going to walk at the end of the season. He could be a big addition to a Seattle defensive line that lacks attitude.

If Ruskell is still around, you can rest assured that he'll pass on head stomping Seymour, but we are hoping Ruskell isn't around to keep that from happening.

Personally, I'd rather see Seattle make a run for Barry Cofield from the Giants.

Don't rule out Terrence Cody from 'Bama. He's more of a 3-4 nose tackle, but he would be an easy solution for their problem against the run. This would be an interesting project for Jim Mora and Gus Bradley.

Big signing a nose tackle type DT, they could mix up 3-4 packages. This would allow them to put Hawthorne and Tatupu on the field at the same time. It might be an interesting option against those pesky teams that come out constantly in 3 WR sets.

LB
I don't have much to say here.

Tatupu is always injured, but we've got a replacement in Hawthorne if he busts.

Hill is good, but he's also always injured. (This is starting to remind me of the late 90's with Chad Brown and Anthony Simmons).

Aaron Curry is a rookie, so the jury is still out. However, so far, Curry has been a big disappointment. He was the first LB selected in the draft, as well as the first defensive player. There have been a lot of other rookies making waves this season, and his name isn't one of them.

James Laurinaitis, Rey Maualuga and Clay Matthews are all having some solid games. Curry seems confused more often than not.

Leave it alone, and let it simmer a little bit.

CB
Marcus Trufant has yet to repeat his pro bowl caliber performance. He's cost Seattle more than helped them in what little he has played this season. Maybe he needs to shake off the cobwebs, or maybe he's got an empty tank.

Wilson, Lucas and Jennings aren't the answer.

There aren't a lot of good options for upgrading in free agency. There are a ton of free agents, but it seems like a Jekyll and Hyde competition at best.

Carlos Rogers could be an option, and given his iffy play this season it's likely he wont cost much. Of course, his price tag could be inflated by lack of competition.

Seattle may have to sit tight at corner unless they want to burn their second first round pick on Trevard Lindley. It's entirely possible that they will, and I wouldn't be sad to see it happen. He's definitely a playmaker at Kentucky.

S
Deon Grant has played a little better this season, however I'm starting to miss Brian Russell. Babineaux and Milloy have not been very good as replacements.

If by some miracle the Rams let O.J Atogwe go, you can believe Seattle will take a look at him. However, that ain't gonna happen.

I think it's unlikely to see Seattle vie for Eric Berry or Taylor Mays with so many other needs on the table.

However, I have a weird feeling there is going to be a sweepstakes in the later rounds for Myron Rolle at Florida State. He's big and fast like Taylor Mays, and he's a smart guy. Above all else, he's durable.

I sure hope that we see signs of life in the front office in February, because without it, all we watch is a horrible 17 week murder mystery Whodunit .

If this were Clue , the verdict would be:

Mr. Ruskell, in Redmond, Washington with the Transition Tag.

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Justin Forsett's Coming Out Party Overdue as Seahawks' Season Expires

Casey Greer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:18:57 -0500

As the Seahawks' Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals came to an end, two significant aspects of their season may have ended also: the Seahawks' chances to contend in 2009, and Julius Jones’ apparent strangle-hold on the starting running back position.

With Julius Jones shelved with what appears to be a fairly serious set of complications following a broken rib, chances are we’ll see a lot more of Justin Forsett.

Forsett made the most of his first significant regular action, rushing for 123 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown, and also hauling in five receptions for 26 yards. Many thought that the diminutive second-year back would be an effective rusher, given his impressive preseason showing in 2008 that earned the former seventh-round pick a spot on the roster.

I’ve spent the last few weeks at bars, at work, or anywhere else where people want to talk Seahawks football (apart from Bleacher Report, as a fried hard drive has kept me off the keyboard as of late), explaining why Forsett was a better option than Jones and Edgerrin James.

And after two years of struggling to manufacture a running game from an anemic combination of Jones, T.J. Duckett, and James, perhaps the most valid remaining question is: What the hell took so long?

In all fairness, Forsett’s been only an average kick returner, and probably doesn’t profile as a “feature back” in the traditional sense of the term, but he’s more explosive than the latter trio, and deserves some time in the backfield.

Forsett had no carries in 2008, and was actually signed off of the team’s practice squad by the Indianapolis Colts, only to be cut and return to Seattle. Going into 2009, Forsett was slotted to be the third down back in a trio that included both James and Jones, and has been successful in that role. Though he’d only amassed 20 carries before Sunday’s game, but also caught 16 balls.

Several mock draft websites have some combination of C.J. Spiller and Jahvid Best being taken by Seattle with one of its two first round picks this offseason.

Spiller is a hyper-athetic back from Clemson, and fits the mold of several backs that have succeeded in a zone-blocking scheme. Similarly, Best is very athletic, and already plays in a zone-blocking scheme at the University of California.

On the surface, the drafting of either would make a ton of sense, but why rule out the present backup?

In Spiller and Best the team would essentially be drafting running backs in the same mold as Forsett, albeit at a much higher price tag. In Best, however, they’d be drafting a running back coming off a concussion, who has been less productive in the same college system.

The zone-blocking scheme, like all successful schemes in professional football, allows for imperfection at a position. That means that a team can be lacking in elite talent at the position, but still manage to produce. In this case, much like rush linebackers in blitz-heavy 3-4 schemes, zone blocking schemes don’t require elite talent at the running back position.

With that comes a reduced cost at the position. The Seahawks should be able to draft players with specific skill sets, rather than complete skill sets, in order to maintain production at the position. Then, when the player in question comes to the end of his rookie contract, he’s either traded (like Clinton Portis), or released (like Selvin Young).

The shelf lives of running backs are probably the shortest of any position in the NFL. So a rookie contract, especially one signed by a first round draftee (normally 4-6 years), typically ends at the downside of a running back’s career.

The Seahawks' season—or at least the part of their season during which they had a realistic shot at contending for a division title—is likely over. And while it’s unfortunate that Jones' career with the Seahawks could end as a result of an injury, it’s probably better for the team.

The 'Hawks need a plan going into 2010, and they need to establish future players at several positions on their offense. At the absolute least, if Forsett implodes over the next seven weeks, the Seahawks will have a better idea of what they need at the position going into the draft.

Read more Seattle Seahawks news on BleacherReport.com

Game 12: Blazers @ Hawks, 4:00pm CSN

Busta Bucket — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:59:27 -0500

Tonight marks the end of Portland's first long road trip. It's been very successful so far (4-0) but the toughest test will undoubtedly be tonight it Atlanta.

These Atlanta Hawks are playing incredibly well right now. They destroyed the Nuggets about a week ago and have now won 4 straight games by 10 or more points for the first time since 1999.

The addition of Jamal Crawford has to be the biggest part of this great start for Atlanta. They were good before, but adding a quality guard like Crawford who is willing to come off the bench is incredible.

If Portland tries to stop Crawford, Joe Johnson may just show up and kill us. This will need to be a full team effort tonight. With Travis Outlaw out, the offense needs to come from other places. Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless will most certainly be asked to step up.

Atlanta Hawks coverage at Hoopinion and Peachtree Hoops .

Blazers

Analysis

Hawks

Andre Miller has played well on the current 5-game road trip. The Blazers have played weak opponents so far but this game will be a huge test. I consider Andre and Mike Bibby to be fairly close skill-wise as point guards right now. The problem is that the Hawks are running a three guard rotation where Jamal Crawford runs point and plays shooting guard. Crawford has been brilliant as a back-up and he killed Portland two weeks ago. They'll get us here.

I'm not totally convinced the Blazers will do the three guard starting line-up tonight. They face bigger, more physical guards in Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford. I can't see Steve Blake matching up at all. Joe wasn't particularly great in Portland but I have a feeling he'll be stellar tonight. He and Crawford will fill it up offensively, let's hope Steve and Rudy can hit their threes to keep Portland in this game.

Brandon Roy will be counted on in a big way during this game. The Hawks have talent at every position but Roy can exploit a major mismatch here with Marvin Williams. Roy is quicker and more skilled, and should have an excellent all around evening. With Martell doing clean-up work as the back-up small forward, I like our chances here.

I made the mistake of picking Josh Smith out right to beat LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. Both are great players, but Josh Smith has a tendency to disappear. I think he'll be good at home but I like LaMarcus exploiting the Hawks by spreading out the defense and hitting his signature jumper. We'll need Aldridge on the boards tonight too, and I think he'll come through. It's a tough choice here, but I'm going with Aldridge.

Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla were out worked by Horford and Pachulia in the previous match-up. The Hawks tandem is very good, especially on the boards. I like the advances Greg has made on the road and Prz continues to be so consistent in his role as the back-up center. Our centers must out rebound the Hawks centers if we want to have a chance in this game. The Blazers want revenge, but this Atlanta team is playing too well right now. I can't see Portland winning without a heroic effort from every Blazer player.

Overall Winner:

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Justin Forsett, Louis Rankin Offer Hope For Seahawks Backfield

Alex Akita — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:53:32 -0500

In a lost season, all you can hope for is any sign of progress for the future. That’s where running backs Justin Forsett and Louis Rankin come in.

The former Pac-10 foes—Rankin attended Washington, Forsett was a Cal Bear—saw extended action in Sunday’s loss to Arizona after starter Julius Jones exited with an injury.

Assuming the majority of the playing time, second-year pro Forsett ran for a career-high 123 yards on 17 carries, notching an impressive 7.2 yards per attempt and recording a touchdown in the process.

Compare that to Jones, who has eclipsed the 100-yard mark just once this season, that coming in Week One against St. Louis. In that contest, Jones logged 117 yards and averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, which should put into perspective just how big Forsett’s day truly was for this struggling offense.

In a change of pace role, Rankin, the team’s part-time punt and kick returner, spelled Forsett on certain downs and carried the ball three times for 24 yards, an average of 8.0 yards per attempt. He also hauled in three passes for 24 yards and made for an intriguing one-two punch alongside the diminutive Forsett.

Forsett, the team’s seventh-round draft pick in 2008, is listed at 5′8″, 194 pounds. Though clearly undersized for an NFL back, the 24-year-old is a shifty speedback that hits the hole hard and isn’t afraid to fight for extra yardage.

Contrast that to Rankin, also 24 years of age, listed at 6′1″, 205. The former Oakland Raider provides a big target for quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to throw to, and is a juking-and-jiving presence who, because of his size, is tough to take down on first contact.

Whether Julius Jones returns or not is meaningless at this point. In nine games, the sixth-year pro has amounted just 392 yards on 107 carries. That’s an average of 3.7 yards per attempt, and just 43.5 yards per game. Not featured back numbers by any stretch of the imagination.

In one showing against a solid opposing defense, Forsett and Rankin have earned the right to assume the workload for the Hawks in a season that has slowly slipped away. Never mind about Julius Jones, his ego, or his contract: he flat-out has not gotten the job done.

This is a team building towards 2010 now, and the franchise needs to start exploring options that hold promise for the future. In Justin Forsett and Louis Rankin, the Seahawks may very well have found two of those options.

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Seattle Seahawks' Rewind: Finally Healthy, but Still Not Good Enough

Chris Cluff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:12:38 -0500

It’s too bad the Seahawks’ first “healthy” game since Week One came in the most important game all season, because they’re really just starting to get it together now that Sean Locklear, Marcus Trufant, Leroy Hill, Rob Sims, and Matt Hasselbeck are back.

With their full complement of starters (minus out-for-the-season Lofa Tatupu and Walter Jones), the Hawks played well for a quarter-plus against Arizona, taking a 14-0 lead, but it dissolved as the Cardinals outscored them 31-6 the rest of the way.

Like the 27-3 loss last month, Hasselbeck didn’t have enough time to throw from the second quarter on. And the defense, which played great early, got no pressure on Kurt Warner and allowed him to complete 29 of 38 passes for 340 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

It was the expected result against a team that is simply better than the Seahawks this season.

But before everyone starts talking about how it’s time to blow up the Seahawks and start all over, let’s look at the things the Hawks were successful with against Arizona and the things they failed at.

Success: Justin Forsett ran the ball well, as he had all season in his limited chances. Coming into the game, he had averaged 6.2 yards per carry on a mere 20 attempts. (He also had 16 catches.) After Julius Jones broke a rib in the first quarter, Forsett ran 17 times for 123 yards and finished with 149 total yards. Justin time?

Success: The Seahawks had 472 yards, which is 344 more than they had against Arizona four weeks ago. They ran for 164, with speedy Louis Rankin chipping in 24 yards on three rushes. They converted 6 of 15 third downs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught nine passes for a season-best 165 yards. Deion Branch caught four for 50 yards.

Failure: Hasselbeck once again didn’t have enough time to throw. He often had to get rid of the ball earlier than he preferred, and therefore missed his receivers on many plays. He never found Nate Burleson, who had five passes thrown in his direction in the game he “promised” the Seahawks would win. Hasselbeck completed only 26 of 52 passes—a horrendous 50 percent.

Failure: The Hawks didn’t utilize tight end John Carlson enough. Hasselbeck found him for a wide-open 31-yard touchdown play in the second quarter but targeted him just one other time (and didn’t connect). The Hawks used more four-receiver sets than they have recently and used Carlson to help block, too.

Failure: Chris Spencer, apparently playing with a bad thumb, was horrible. These were his most glaring mistakes: a delay of game in the first quarter (he didn’t snap the ball in time even though Hasselbeck was clapping for it vehemently), a sack surrendered on the Hawks’ first play of the second half, a false start that was called on Max Unger because Spencer didn’t snap the ball on the right count.

And his left-handed snaps were all over the place, sometimes disrupting Hasselbeck’s rhythm.

Failure: In his first start since Week Two, Locklear had the expected struggles. He let Bertrand Berry get around him for a sack on the first drive and was a step slow at times. The big question is: Can he stay healthy for the rest of the season?

Failure: After a well-played first quarter, including a great goal-line stand on fourth down, the defense completely disintegrated. Cornerbacks Marcus Trufant, Josh Wilson and Ken Lucas had a tough day against Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston.

The Hawks decided not to blitz Warner, and the strategy worked fine for the first five possessions as the Hawks confused Warner with their zone coverages. But then he figured them out and used Beanie Wells to soften up the defense, and the Hawks did not adjust.

“I think they just took the approach that, ‘We’re not going to let them get the ball out quick and make those kinds of plays; we’re going to make them work for things and we’re going to drop an extra guy in the box,’ ” Warner told reporters.

“A lot of times they were rushing three and dropping eight guys and trying to make it hard on us from that perspective. So that was something that was different and something that was different to me from a coach Mora team. He likes to change it up and he likes to bring a variety of pressures, and that’s one thing we didn’t see today.”

Seattle hit Warner just one time all game, with no sacks. And Warner made the Seahawks corners pay for it.

On Arizona’s first touchdown drive, Trufant was the goat. He was called for pass interference when his feet got tangled with Fitzgerald, a 19-yard penalty. Two plays later, he fell for a double move by Breaston, who scored for the third straight game against Seattle. Trufant gave up 47 of Arizona’s 65 yards on that scoring drive. But the Hawks got no pressure to help him. They actually rushed six on the TD play.

The Cardinals finished the first half with an 80-yard drive with a little over a minute left, hitting a 27-yard field goal to cut Seattle’s lead to 17-10. Then they came out in the third quarter and rattled off an 82-yard touchdown drive on which Warner was 6-for-8.

After an Arizona three-and-out and a Seattle field-goal drive, the Cardinals went 80 yards in four plays for the go-ahead touchdown. The big play was a 37-yard pass play to Boldin and accompanying 13-yard penalty on Jordan Babineaux for a horse-collar tackle.

The Cardinals rattled off a 75-yard TD drive on the next drive to go up 31-20, and it was basically over with 6:11 left. Fitzgerald beat Lucas on an 18-yard pass to the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

Failure: In a flag-happy game, the Seahawks lost 113 yards on nine penalties±and had two flags thrown out. The Cardinals were flagged 11 times for 136 yards. Most of the penalties looked legitimate, believe it or not. But that figures considering Walt Coleman’s crews usually call the fewest penalties in the league.

His crew this week seemed to get only two wrong against Seattle—Trufant’s foot-tangling pass interference and Ray Willis’ illegal formation at the end of the game.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Seahawks still have seven games remaining, but at 3-6, they are basically out of the playoff race and need to look ahead to 2010. That means doing the following over the remainder of the season:

**Move Unger to center now so he can get experience for 2010. Spencer is such an incredible liability, the Hawks would be better served to slide Unger over. Then slide Willis over to guard, swing Locklear back to right tackle and put Damion McIntosh at left tackle for now. Or, keep Locklear at left tackle and put McIntosh on the right side. Whatever it takes to get Spencer out.

**Let Forsett take over as the starting tailback. He has shown more quickness and ability to make people miss than Jones, whose time in Seattle is up.

**Continue to get Deon Butler involved. He needs to get experience so he can at least be the third receiver in 2010. Burleson is a free agent after this season, and there’s no telling whether he can be re-signed. Deion Branch should be on his way out, but if Burleson doesn’t come back the Hawks might want to keep Branch around—at a reduced rate, of course.

**Start throwing the ball to Carlson more. This is on offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who needs to use John Owens as the blocking tight end and let Carlson and Hasselbeck develop their passing rapport.

**Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley needs to dial up more blitzes. It really is unbelievable that he is not using his talented linebackers as pass rushers more often. Coach Jim Mora should demand that Bradley get more out of his defense the rest of the way.

**Finally, for the entertainment factor, the Hawks need to use Seneca Wallace more. He was in for two plays against Arizona, catching a five-yard pass for a first down on Seattle’s second touchdown drive and completing a 16-yard pass to Houshmandzadeh for a first down on the next drive, which resulted in a field goal. More Seneca, please.

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Matt Hasselbeck Must Shoulder Blame for Seahawks' Losses

Alex Akita — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:18:16 -0500

Matt Hasselbeck is one of those guys who is often exempt from criticism. He’s a veteran who has had a relatively long and prolific career, and is generally regarded as a leader both on and off the field. When it comes to the struggles of the Seahawks, we generally give Hasselbeck a free pass.

But after Sunday’s loss at Arizona—a game in which Hasselbeck threw for 315 yards in the process—we need to place at least some of the blame for this team’s indiscretions at the feet of number eight. Frankly, we can ill afford to spare him any longer.

In the past, we’ve had a tendency to put the onus for losing on a number of different targets. A porous offensive line, an inconsistent running game, receivers who can’t hang onto passes. The fact is, we can only make scapegoats out of certain people so many times before the words ring hollow. And our scapegoats have been the same for two seasons.

What about the rest of the team? What about a guy like Hasselbeck?

When healthy enough to play, Hasselbeck has been playing at an unacceptable level for more than a year. That could be for any number of reasons, including the ones we listed above.

On top of that, he’s been hurt. Frequently. And he’s played hurt. Frequently.

You have to respect Hasselbeck’s willingness to put the team before himself, before his body, and before his future. But unfortunately that gutsiness can only be used as an excuse for a certain amount of time before it becomes a crutch to stand on.

Hasselbeck has earned our respect. He’s earned our patience. He has a passion for the game that is unrivaled, and absolutely gives the Seahawks the best chance to win under center. Plus he’s a likable guy that is as down to earth as anyone else. All of this allows him the freedom to stink up the joint every once in a while and suffer no consequences.

But Sunday's game was different. We witnessed a new side of Hasselbeck that epitomized the frustration of a miserable 3-6 season. Instead of the savvy, confident, capable game-manager that we’ve grown accustomed to finding on Autumn weekends, the second half of Sunday’s loss brought forth a jittery, panicked, exasperated Hasselbeck that showed up at precisely the wrong time.

The Seahawks had this game. A game that would have salvaged their season for a week, and likely longer. They led 17-10 at halftime, then stood idly by as everything unraveled.

Amidst it all was Hasselbeck, who engineered the downfall of his ball club. One costly interception, then another. Passes thrown well out of reach of receivers. Passes thrown into double, and even triple coverage. And time and again, when walking off the field following an abbreviated drive, here was Hasselbeck—the leader, the captain—with head hung and a look of unmitigated acrimony on his face. It was like a child on the verge of a tantrum.

Losing wears on us all. Fans, media members, coaches, and, most importantly: the players. But leaders are who we count on when we’re down. On Sunday afternoon, at University of Phoenix Stadium, the Seahawks were searching for a leader where none could be found.

I like Matt Hasselbeck. I’ve always liked him. Most fans and media members alike can echo those sentiments. As I alluded to before, part of the reason we spare him from criticism is because he’s our brother, our son, our dad, our friend. He’s a guy we all feel we can relate to.

But every now and then we need to put our emotions aside and do what has to be done for the team. In this case, we need to put some of the blame for this most recent loss and, in turn, all six of the Seahawks’ losses on Matt Hasselbeck. It's time.

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Seahawks Have To Decide Now: Is GM Tim Ruskell Staying or Not?

Rob Staton — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:46:54 -0500

With the Seahawks dropping to 3-6 after Sunday's 31-20 defeat to Arizona, their season is essentially over.

There will be no return to the playoffs. The best they can hope for is to restore some pride over the upcoming weeks, starting with their next road trip to Minnesota.

With that in mind, it's time the franchise made a decision.

GM Tim Ruskell is in a contract year. Someone, whoever is charged with that responsibility, needs to decide whether he'll be sticking around.

What benefit is there to be gained from dragging it out until January?

The team's fate is essentially sealed for another year. Speculation is rampant in the media about what might happen, with the inevitable mention of Mike Holmgren appearing almost daily.

Why not just put a stop to all the hearsay, supposition, and speculation and just come clean?

If you're confident he's the right man for the job, back him with a new contract. Make a statement that you have faith in the direction of this team, regardless of the 7-18 record since 2008.

If Tim Ruskell isn't going to be retained, it makes absolute sense to move him on as soon as possible. Give yourself as much time as you need to get the right replacement, then allow them to access the franchise and pick a path forward.

All that's going to happen in the aftermath of Sunday's loss is even more speculation until this issue is put to bed. If, as has to be expected, Seattle loses next week in Minnesota, the situation only intensifies further.

It's already getting ugly. Ruskell felt moved to offer a candid interview to the Seahawks' official Web site this week, in which he all but justified his employment and made some remarks that appeared to criticize former decision makers.

The people at the very top of this franchise know what Ruskell brings to the table; they've worked with him for nearly five years.

Upon his arrival, he was the perfect complement to then head coach Holmgren. Ruskell was the defensive eyes to the offensive guru and it helped the Seahawks make a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.

But since then, things have not gone according to plan. The franchise faces the prospect of becoming a second-class citizen in the NFC West, a division it formerly dominated.

If Ruskell's still the right man to be GM of the Seattle Seahawks, end the talk now and give him an extension.

Otherwise, it's time to move on—and that decision has to be made sooner rather than later.

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