Strengths and Weaknesses of the 2009 Seattle Seahawks

With training camp approaching and the NFL season right around the corner, I'll be analyzing where the Seahawks will prevail, where they might stumble, and where there are a couple question marks.

Strengths

QB: Matt Hasselbeck, when healthy, is a top 10 quarterback. Now all the reports say that he is looking good, but even if he goes down, Seneca Wallace can get the job done.

He is without a doubt one of the top backups in the NFL.

WR: This time last year, I think it's safe to say that this was probably a weakness. Bobby Engram and Deion Branch were recovering from injuries, and Nate Burleson was our only threat.

As the season ended it was arguably our biggest weakness.

But with the addition of one of the most underrated players in the NFL, TJ Houshmandzadeh, he can make the quarterback look good. The guy just doesn't stop producing.

Nate Burleson and Deion Branch should also thrive due to his presence, and the fact that they don't have to worry about being the main guy. Deon Butler should also be something special.

Don't let his height mislead you. Plenty of small wide receivers have thrived in the NFL recently, (Steve Smith, DeSean Jackson, and Eddie Royal).

TE: With another year under his belt, John Carlson will look to prove he is one of the elite tight ends in the NFL. Although he might not be turned to as often because of the improved receiving core, he will definitely improve his game.

DL: Some may not agree, but I think our line will be one of the top in the league. But it hinders on two things:

One, Patrick Kerney has to stay healthy for the majority of the season. Two, Brandon Mebane has to become a dominating force in the middle.

Both are realistic projections in my eyes. Besides those two factors, Darryl Tapp and Lawrence Jackson must further elevate their game, while I believe Cory Redding is due for a big year.

It's amazing what a change of scenery can do for a player.

The only question mark is Colin Cole. I'm not as optimistic as others are about a rotational player who has only been praised for his size, not necessarily his play.

LB: Not only do we have the best young linebacking core in the league, it is easily one of the top five. Lofa Tatupu is pissed about last season and is ready to prove himself to the doubters that have kept him off the top middle linebacker lists.

Leroy Hill should be able to recapture the magic from his rookie year when he had 7.5 sacks.

Aaron Curry, meanwhile, is a good candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Weaknesses

RB: Greg Knapp is known for having great rushing offenses. Seattle brought him in, thinking he could bring his knowledge to the team, but the truth is, it's going to be hard for him to repeat his previous endeavours.

He had Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick in Atlanta, while he had McFadden, Fargas, and Bush in Oakland.

Julius Jones isn't as good as any of those guys. Duckett will get it done in tough yardage situations, but I'm not too high on Forsett.

The one guy I will have my eye on is undrafted free agent, Devin Moore. It will be interesting to see what he does in KR/PR.

DB: Seattle brought in Ken Lucas during the offense to bring some size into our Secondary.

And that's it.

That's all we have done to upgrade the worst pass defense in the NFL.

It will get better due to improved defense upfront, but how is Brian Russell still starting?

I wish we would have upgraded that spot. A lot of it has to depend on how they all work together. I'm optimistic, but I still see this as a weakness.

At least until we draft Eric Berry, wink wink.

Question Marks

OL: For this unit to be successful, not only does Walter Jones have to succeed in his rehabilitation, but Mike Wahle, Chris Spencer, and Rob Sims all have to step their game up and stay healthy.

Max Unger has the talent, but it is hard to expect too much out of him as a rookie.