Seattle Seahawks: Twiddling Our Thumbs (Defense)

I personally feel better knowing that we'll have a flood of articles tomorrow concerning the workout going on today. Like I mentioned in my first article, Twiddling Our Thumbs (Offense) , we've been scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for Seahawks articles to feed our fix.

Now it's on to defense.

I'm actually much more interested in the defense this year. With all the changes that Pete Carroll has been bringing in, I am really anxious to see how it all pans out. When the team was ushering Jim Mora out the door, I thought for sure that Gus Bradley would be headed in the same direction. It seems Pete Carroll saw something I didn't last year.

Although we had a decent run defense last year with all the big bodies clogging the gaps, we lacked an effective pass rush. This new position called "The Elephant" was introduced to the organization. It has since been changed to "The Leo" position. It will be used to send speed rushers at the opposing QBs from all different angles.

The first casualty of this new position was Daryll Tapp. The newest addition came in the form of Rickey Foley from the CFL. I still don't know how to feel about the whole concept, but I'll wait for preseason to make a full judgement call. All I know is it will be dramatically different look from previous Seahawk defenses.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the addition of Chris Clemons. He's seeking to revive his career here. I think he has the speed and the determination to get to the QB. Also, Nick Reed made a case for himself last year in the preseason. As a fan I want to see him get his chance again this year. He may not be the prototypical DE, but as he showed when he was at the University of Oregon and during parts of last season, he can get to the QB, he can get to the RB, and he will give it his all to disrupt any play.

There was one story that when it hit it really got me really pumped for next season. That was the story of Red Bryant getting his time at the defensive end position. Hearing that this big bodied lineman would be lining up wide of center for some reason suddenly made sense to so many people. I can't wait to see him wind up and power his way into the backfield. Whether he is chasing down running backs or laying out quarterbacks I think he will definitely be one of the bigger standouts in this style of defense.

With Colin Cole playing more of a nose tackle role and Bryant getting more looks at DE, I think another player that could experience a better year is Brandon Mebane. We saw that he was getting in the mix a little bit more last year, but this year I think he's primed for his chance to show us what he's made of.

Due to the Seahawks lack of a pass rush last year, we had some very talented DB's getting the blame for being a porous pass defense. Despite their efforts they were beat time and time again, because QBs were able to stand in the pocket all day long.

We should see the defensive backs unit much improved through addition of playmakers and through scheme. One of the players that had a hard time last year was Marcus Trufant. Some believe that the penalties called on him were a result of being on the PUP list and having to catch back up to the speed of the game.  I saw him trying to do whatever it took to help his team. This year, he will hopefully return back to form.

Josh Wilson became the man on fire last year when he lost the job to Ken Lucas. I don't know what's going to happen when Walter Thurmond gets tossed into the mix and who will come out on top. All I know is that Josh Wilson is talented. We need to find a way to get this guy on the field. Nickel or CB opposite Trufant would be my preference, but we still have yet to see how Thurmond will figure into the plan. 

My second favorite addition to this unit was the resigning of Lawyer Milloy. He seems to still have plenty of gas left in the tank. More importantly he loves passing on the experience. He was a puzzle piece that I felt was missing last year. I'm hoping that Milloy makes the start at strong safety. Having him be there as insurance for Earl Thomas was a brilliant plan. When Thomas starts acting like a rookie, he will have an experienced vet to put him back on the path. 

My favorite addition had to be Earl Thomas. Watching highlight reels of this kid made me wonder why Eric Berry went before him. I can't complain, he fell to us at 14. In a pinch he can line up at CB, he's a ball hawking safety and he had the instinct in college to dominate. If he can affect the game like he did in college, we will have a feared pass defense. 

Last but not least, one of the best line backing corps in the NFL. Although we haven't seen much from this squad, I think we will start to see vast improvements due to the all around overhaul of the defense. 

Lofa Tatupu has had some rough years and it's about time he turn it around. When he's on the field he's definitely the defensive leader. When we lost that last year, we saw what happened to everyone's production. He sees things differently then other players and will shift whomever to provide proper coverage. He makes everyone around him better, and that's what I'm hoping for this year. Please stay healthy.

Aaron Curry fell apart last year when he lost his leader and was asked to use his noggin a bit more. Asking that of a rookie was probably a mistake. He slowed down, he lost his momentum. I almost see him as another rookie this year. He will have the chance to redeem himself. Whether he's pass rushing or dropping into coverage, I think he'll make it work.

The dynamic player that David Hawthorne became last year was a huge revelation. We thought we had a good LB corps and it got better in my eyes. With Hawthorne taking over Leroy Hill's spot, I think we're seeing a changing of the guard. Hawthorne's stats from last year were unbelievable, and keeping that kind of talent off the field would be a huge mistake. Can't wait to see how he handles the transition to the outside.

Leroy Hill is a disappointment. After the huge signing last year and after all his trouble, I'm truly curious to see how his case— and more importantly, his career— will be affected. I don't know how I would feel about him getting his old spot back if he is able to return.

All in all, I see the defense moving to the middle of the pack. If our offense is able to respond well to Pete Carroll, which I think it will, we might be able to break top 10. That might be a little hopeful, but I have faith. 

Writing the two articles gave me something to do other then stare at my favorite fan sites and keep refreshing till a new article came up. I hope you enjoyed them.