Seahawks' Free Agent Moves Raise New Questions

After claiming that they would not be making any major dives into the free agent pool this year, the Seattle Seahawks surprised everyone with their huge splash on Tuesday. They announced the signing of T. J. Houshmandzadeh, the Pro-Bowl receiver formerly of the Cincinnatti Bengals.

This addition plugs a major hole made glaringly obvious by all other defenses last season by giving the Seahawks a dependable receiver who has averaged more than 90 catches per season over the past four years and has rarely missed time due to injuries.

The former Oregon State Beaver has played second fiddle to "Ocho Cinco" in Cincinnatti for the last several years, but will now have a chance to shine in Seattle's West Coast offense for the next five years.

But while the deal does satisfy a need for the Hawks, it also creates several questions which will need to be answered over the next several weeks:

Is Bobby Engram Done in Seattle?

Obviously, the Seahawks' available room under the salary cap has shrunk considerably by the recent flurry of free agent signings, including those of Houshmandzadeh and Colin Cole, the former Packer nose tackle who was picked up over the weekend. Furthermore, there is no longer a need in the Seahawks offense for a possession receiver, a role that Engram filled.

However, given the plague of injuries that the Seahawk receivers suffered last season, there's a definite desire for depth at this position—a team can never have too many reliable receivers over a 16-game season. Engram is making the rounds of other teams looking for a back up receiver, but given his age (38) and his season-ending injury last season, his value is minimal to the rest of the league.

His best shot for making a roster next season would seem to be with the Seahawks, where his talents are known. Besides, Matt Hasselback seems to have an uncanny knack for finding him on third-and-long.

Will the Seahawks Still Consider Drafting Michael Crabtree?

Nine out of every 10 mock drafts seems to assume that the Seahawks will draft Crabtree with the fourth pick, even though the receiver showed up at the combine with a stress fracture in his foot and two inches missing from his reported height. Apparently, the prevailing wisdom among draft gurus still remains that the two-time Biletnikoff-winning receiver out of Texas Tech is a shoe-in to be selected by the Hawks.

But Houshmandzadeh's signing with Seattle makes this selection less of a certainty.  The Seahawks can now afford to look at other positions without having to worry about their (formerly) biggest need on their offense. The plethora of talented offensive tackles may look a lot more attractive now, as Walter Jones continues to age with a long history of nagging injuries. There are also some talented defensive players who would warrant a hard look when the Seahawks are on the clock, such as B.J. Raji, the stout defensive tackle from Boston College, and Aaron Curry, the talented linebacker from Wake Forest.

The Seahawks could also do something crazy, like draft a franchise quarterback in Mark Sanchez out of U.S.C., or even trade down with some other team looking for a franchise quarterback. In that way, they could pick up some valuable draft choices in later rounds.

Simply put, the Seahawks signing of T.J. Houshmandzadeh may cause a major reverberation throughout the first round of the 2009 draft.

Is Seattle's Offense Totally Different Now?

The Seahawks have not had a receiver with the talent and abilities of Houshmandzadeh since Largent retired. But suddenly, they possess a receiver who can play both the slot and out wide, and can catch passes all over the field. A player who seems to have no fear of going over the middle, but can also stretch the field by being a deep threat.

With the addition of a talented tight end in John Carlson last season, the Seahawks' West Coast offense now truly will strike fear into the hearts of defensive coordinators in the NFC West, assuming Hasselback can stay healthy.

Jim Mora's new offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp, has indicated that he would like to see a more run-oriented attack from the Seahawks next season, but with all of these new weapons in the passing attack, the Hawks would be short-sighted to not open up the offense more and let their new players demonstrate what they can bring.

These questions and many more are pleasant diversions to ponder and an unexpected dividend from the Seahawks' successful move in the free agent market this week.