July

July 30, 2008   

Hole in middle of Seahawks' O-line hard to hide

Updated at 7:10 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 1

While it’s hardly the center of attention in the Seahawks’ training camp, the team’s shaky situation at the center position in the camp’s early going is a cause for concern. With starting C Chris Spencer and veteran backup Chris Gray both missing practice because of back problems, the center role has been forced into the hands of a pair of young guards who've never played in a regular-season game — Steve Vallos and Mansfield Wrotto. Spencer’s absence is especially disconcerting. Team insiders tell us the former first-round pick is likely to miss at least the first 10-12 full-squad practices. While we’re told he has made progress in his ability to make the pre-snap calls on the line, which was a noticeable problem last season, the consensus is that he still needs to improve in that area, and sitting on the sideline certainly isn’t helping him any. There is one piece of encouraging news at the center position, though, as Wrotto appears to be at least holding his own in the absence of Spencer and Gray. Wrotto had been widely considered one of the most improved players on the roster heading into training camp, and his ability to play center, as well as guard, only serves to increase his long-term usefulness. As for Vallos, team sources think he could be in a battle right up to the final cutdown date for the last spot on the O-line with injury-prone veteran Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack. 

July 16, 2008   

Keep an eye on CB Hobbs

When head coach Mike Holmgren caused more than a few observers’ eyebrows to rise near the end of the team’s final minicamp with a comment that the starting CB job opposite Pro Bowler Marcus Trufant was “up for grabs,” there was instant speculation that the previously anonymous Kevin Hobbs could become a serious challenger to incumbent Kelly Jennings. Originally signed by Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2006, only to be released after training camp, Hobbs was re-signed last May and ended up splitting time between the active roster and the practice squad. In this year’s minicamps and OTAs, however, he was singled out as the team’s most improved defender. Said one longtime team insider: “He really looked good and made a lot of plays. I don’t see him beating out Jennings, but I definitely see him possibly grabbing the ‘dime’ role from Josh Wilson, whose best plays have come from having to use his athleticism to recover from all the plays he keeps missing.”

July 4, 2008   

Carlson should blossom in training camp

Forget the fact that Seahawks second-round rookie TE John Carlson has been very limited so far this offseason. Despite Carlson’s relative inactivity due to a nagging hamstring injury and, to a lesser extent, a team policy in early OTAs that automatically puts rookies behind veterans when it comes to playing time, we hear the Notre Dame product is still expected to be the team’s starting tight end when the season opens. What’s definitely worth remembering is the impressive work ethic Carlson has demonstrated since joining the team, arriving early and staying late at the Seahawks’ headquarters on a regular basis in an effort to fully absorb head coach Mike Holmgren’s complicated offensive system. Word is Carlson is likely to quickly bypass holdover Will Heller and free-agent newcomer Jeb Putzier on the depth chart when training camp begins and his hamstring is fully healed. But that’s not to say Heller and Putzier won’t be key factors in the TE equation. We keep hearing Putzier, in particular, could be an intriguing secret weapon for Seattle’s offense not too far down the road.

June

June 25, 2008   

Punter's injury latest blow to special teams

The concerns keep mounting for Seahawks special-teams coach Bruce DeHaven. It’s bad enough that neither free-agent addition Olindo Mare nor seventh-round rookie Brandon Coutu has come close to making anybody forget departed PK Josh Brown, replacements must be found for the coverage unit’s top two performers (free-agent defectors Niko Koutuvides and Kevin Bentley), the new long-snapper is expected to be unproven sixth-round rookie Tyler Schmitt and a scramble is under way among a flurry of candidates to take over a huge portion of Nate Burleson’s return duties, as his role as a receiver has been greatly accelerated. Making matters worse is the untimely torn pectoral suffered by P Ryan Plackemeier while lifting weights that our sources tell us is likely to shut him down through training camp. “They’re hoping he’ll be ready for the season opener,” one longtime team insider told PFW. “Reggie Hodges, who was signed just to be another body, will be the punter for the rest of the summer. It’s funny that Plackemeier — who (looks like he) weighs more than (starting DRE) Darryl Tapp and is one of the team’s more out-of-shape guys — was even lifting weights.” One more concern worth mentioning: Plackemeier also was the team’s primary holder, and his backup is none other than starting QB Matt Hasselbeck, who team insiders agree might be much better off avoiding any unnecessary risk of injury.   

June 20, 2008   

Burleson making strides at receiver

Nate Burleson

Recognizing the increased dependence his team has on him with D.J. Hackett having split the scene for Carolina and Bobby Engram continuing to steer clear of Seahawks headquarters due to contract concerns, we hear the light really appears to have gone on in the case of sixth-year WR-RS Nate Burleson. From the start of the Seahawks’ postdraft minicamp, our sources in Seattle tell us Burleson probably has been the team’s most consistent offensive performer up to now. “He is running consistently sharp routes, getting open and making catches,” one team insider said of Burleson, who previously has had a tendency to disappear when the team needed him most. “He also seems to have a much better understanding of the team’s passing game. Not only was he hampered by a thumb injury his first year in Seattle, he had to adjust to a much more up-tempo offense than the one in Minnesota and spent a lot of time just catching his breath. He really seems to get it now and is working a lot closer with (QB Matt) Hasselbeck.” With plans calling for Burleson to play a much bigger role in the Seahawks’ offense as a receiver, head coach Mike Holmgren would prefer to find someone else to return kicks, which is something Burleson does exceptionally well most of the time. We hear a host of candidates are lined up to help fill that role, including third-year pro Ben Obomanu and second-year pros Josh Wilson, Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent.      

June 6, 2008   

Another rookie D-lineman is making mark

If early indications mean anything, it looks like the Seahawks might have struck gold in the draft for the second straight season at defensive tackle. Last year, third-round pick Brandon Mebane wasted little time making an impact when given the opportunity after the departed Cedric Darby was lost of the season. Now this year, team insiders are telling us fourth-round pick Red Bryant is making a similarly strong impression. Bryant was primarily expected to earn his keep as a run stuffer, but as has been the case with Mebane, he has also displayed surprisingly impressive pass-rush ability. What’s noticeably different about Mebane and Bryant are their contrasting statures. Said one daily observer: “They both weigh 318 pounds, but Red is a lot more imposing in the upper body, whereas Brandon is a real stout fireplug similar to Darby.” Bryant has turned more than a few heads at the Seahawks’ OTAs with his strength, quickness and playmaking ability inside. Word is his emergence has helped to ease the team’s continued concerns about the condition of former first-round DT Marcus Tubbs, who has missed much of the last two seasons due to knee injuries.

May

May 29, 2008   

Sims considered top dog at right guard

Despite the fact he’s currently rehabilitating from minor surgery on his right knee in early May, we hear the Seahawks’ ORG job is Rob Sims’ to lose. Sims, who struggled more often than not as the team’s starting left guard last season, wasn’t initially too keen about switching to the right side from the left side, which will now be occupied by 11th-year vet Mike Wahle. But we hear it didn’t take long at all for new Seahawks O-line coach Mike Solari to get the third-year vet fired up about his change of scenery. “Solari likes mobile guys who can pull and cut off linebackers, and Sims can do that kind of thing very well,” a team source told PFW. “His problem has mostly been his recognition skills.” Sims says he doesn’t expect to miss any more than 3-4 days of the team’s June minicamp. Heading into the offseason, the consensus was that a wide-open competition would take place at right guard between Sims, longtime starter Chris Gray, who is entering his 16th season, and massive Ray Willis, and the hope is still that Willis, who had his knee scoped this offseason, will eventually offer Sims a spirited challenge. As for the steadily reliable Gray, we hear he has willingly accepted a role as the team’s primary backup at both OG spots, as well as at center, where starter Chris Spencer’s surgically repaired shoulders remain a concern. “It’s a role that will allow Mike Holmgren to get some sleep at night,” a team source joked.

May 16, 2008   

Solari's hands-on approach a real eye-opener

Back in late February at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, our Seahawks insiders kept hearing from league sources familiar with Mike Solari that Seattle’s new offensive line coach just might end up being the best addition the team makes this offseason. After watching Solari in action at the team’s minicamp in early May, they quickly realized what those league sources were talking about. “On the practice field, it was like night and day,” one longtime daily team observer told PFW. “He seemed to be straddling the line of scrimmage on every play, coaching constantly, even with the rookie free agents. There was a big emphasis on technique and being tenacious.” It’s worth noting that assistant O-line coach Mike DeBord was equally hands-on, and the early consensus seems to be that Solari and DeBord’s emphasis on teaching will particularly help young linemen Chris Spencer and Rob Sims, neither of whom seemed to respond well at all to Solari’s predecessor, Bill Laveroni. On the downside, we’re told it was hard not to notice the lack of depth on a unit that wasn’t addressed in the draft, despite a host of injury concerns. Three projected starters — Spencer at center, Sims at right guard and veteran OLT Walter Jones — were held out of the camp due to injuries. In addition, backup OL Ray Willis, who is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery, was limited to bag drills, and newly re-signed Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack, who has had problems consistently staying healthy in his eight-year career, appeared to be treading lightly on tender knees.

May 9, 2008   

Engram an unhappy camper

Bobby Engram

Don’t look now, but the Seattle Seahawks, a team known around the league for its great chemistry, suddenly has a chink in its armor from a very unlikely source — veteran WR Bobby Engram. In his eight solid seasons in Seattle, Engram has been the epitome of a “team” player. But coming off a career season in which he more than picked up the slack created by injuries to fellow WRs Deion Branch and the departed D.J. Hackett, Engram raised eyebrows at the Seahawks’ voluntary veteran camp this week when he decided to steer clear in protest over his current contract. Engram believes he deserves more than the base salary of $1.7 million he is scheduled to earn this season as part of the two-year, $3.4 million contract he agreed to after an injury-plagued 2006 season. Based on his production in ’07, there are few daily team observers who can find fault with his assertion. The problem is that the Seahawks are paying Engram based on his intended role, which is to be the team’s slot receiver and not the emergency starter he became both in 2005, when No. 1 receiver Darrell Jackson was out for a prolonged stretch due to injuries, and last season, when Branch missed major time. Making the issue even touchier is the strong possibility that Engram will enter the ’08 season as the starting flanker over Branch, who team insiders tell us is looking more and more like a strong candidate for the physically-unable-to-perform list after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery this offseason. Did we mention that Branch is set to make $3.5 million in base salary in ’08, plus a $600,000 roster bonus? And did we also mention that Engram is 35 years old, although last season he had never looked better? “It’s a pretty delicate situation,” one team insider told PFW. “But the consensus is that Bobby will eventually stay true to form and suck it up. He’s been around for all the mandatory stuff, so I don’t think he’ll be too much of a distraction.”          

April

April 23, 2008   

Young WRs Taylor, Obomanu ready to branch out

With free agent D.J. Hackett splitting for Carolina, and Deion Branch literally knee-deep in rehab after tearing up his left knee in the Seahawks’ divisional playoff loss in snowy Green Bay, there’s a good chance that reliable veteran Bobby Engram and explosive local product Nate Burleson could begin next season as the starters at flanker and split end, respectively. And the way we hear it, there’s an even better chance that at least two of the team’s young reserves from a promising group that includes Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent will be counted on to strut their stuff in multiple sets with greater frequency. Word is the two most likely to get more opportunities in 2008 are Taylor, who is considered to have the most upside due to his athleticism and route-running ability, and Obomanu, who like Hackett before him, has made the most of his limited opportunities. Payne, meanwhile, who was a rookie free agent last season, is apparently being groomed to take over the slot role normally filled by Engram, who has defied Father Time but can’t go on forever at the age of 35. Kent remains the biggest project in this quartet, but he has phenomenal athleticism and did show progress as last season wore on. “One thing he would keep doing in practice was to jump in the air every time after he would make a play — a habit left over from his basketball days,” a longtime daily team observer told PFW. “Kent’s got unbelievable speed, but he’s still a real project.”

April 18, 2008   

Tubbs working hard to get game back in gear

Call him Seattle’s X-factor. When the Seahawks selected Marcus Tubbs with the 23rd pick in the 2004 draft, they envisioned an imposing, wide-bodied, run-stuffing defensive tackle who could be a rock in the defensive interior for years to come. Unfortunately, back-to-back season-ending knee injuries the past two seasons (the left knee in ’06, followed by the right knee late last preseason) have clouded that vision to the point that, from here on out, anything at all that the team can get out of Tubbs would be considered a very welcome bonus. Team president Tim Ruskell recently told our sources that Tubbs’ rehab efforts have been nothing short of remarkable and that the possibility Tubbs might be able to be worked into the DT rotation in ’08 for 15-20 plays, mostly in run situations, grows stronger every day. Tubbs, meanwhile, tells our sources that both of his knees feel good, particularly the left knee, which required delicate microfracture surgery and has now been contact-free for more than a year and a half. But until the 320-pound Texas product actually tests the knee in training camp, the word is his status on the roster will be accompanied by an industrial-sized question mark.  

April 2, 2008   

Mare still needs to earn Seahawks' PK job

The Seahawks took the first big step in revamping their depleted special teams last week by signing veteran PK Olindo Mare to a two-year deal worth a reported $3.5 million. But the way we hear it, it would be wrong to assume that the Seahawks are just going to hand over departed PK Josh Brown’s job to Mare, who was released by the Saints after declining to take a pay cut from his $1.5 million salary. Team sources tell us the best-case scenario would be an open competition between Mare, whose FG accuracy with the Saints left a lot to be desired last season (only 10-of-17), and a rookie who could offer him legitimate competition. We hear the team is intrigued by the two highest-ranked placekickers in the upcoming draft (North Carolina State’s Steven Hauschka and Georgia’s Brandon Coutu, according to PFW’s rankings) and wouldn’t be averse at all to spending a second-day pick on one of them. “But whether it’s somebody they draft or an undrafted guy, they definitely want two guys actively competing in camp,” a team source said. One thing the Seahawks like about Mare is his continued ability to put the ball into the endzone on his kickoffs — a skill that took Brown a while to master in his time with the team. But we’re told it’s hard to consider Mare, who turns 35 in early June, anything more than a short-term fix in the grand scheme of things.

March

March 26, 2008   

Team effort needed to take care of Tatupu

Updated at 3:50 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 26

When the Seahawks first announced that they were holding a press conference on the first day of spring, team insiders suspected that either a new deal for “franchise” CB Marcus Trufant or a pink slip for beleaguered RB Shaun Alexander was imminent. As it turned out, their eyebrows were raised by the news that the team had somehow found a way to sign MLB Lofa Tatupu to a well-deserved $42 million contract extension that club president GM Tim Ruskell said would make the three-time Pro Bowler “a Seahawk for life.” With Trufant’s $9 million-plus franchise tag greatly limiting the team’s ability to do business, the ability to get a deal done for Tatupu required financial sacrifices that four of his teammates — DE Patrick Kerney, SS Deon Grant, DT Craig Terrill and DB Jordan Babineaux — couldn’t have been more willing to make on behalf of a player who had become the team’s most respected leader. We hear Tatupu also helped his cause by willingly settling for less money, which he hoped could also increase the likelihood of possible new deals for Trufant and fellow starting LB Leroy Hill. Trufant, it turns out, signed a new six-year, $50.2 million deal with the team five days later. But whether the Seahawks will also be able to accommodate Hill remains to be seen. “Hill could be an interesting case,” a team source told PFW. “Because he has been so overshadowed by Tatupu and Julian Peterson in Seattle, he could be a guy who just might want to test the market when the time comes. But he definitely has Pro Bowl-type potential, and the coaches need to find more and better ways to use him.”

March 21, 2008   

Tight end squarely in Seahawks' sights

If you were to ask our Seahawks sources what the team’s greatest need is at the moment, the position at the top of their list would be tight end, considering that the team’s current combination at the position — holdover Will Heller and newcomer Jeb Putzier (forget about Marcus Pollard, who in effect played himself off the team in the playoffs) — is considered serviceable at best. But those same sources would also tell you that the team has plenty of other needs — offensive tackle, defensive tackle and running back, most notably. With the upcoming draft considered to have impressive depth at each of those positions, the odds are strong that, provided Seattle stays put with the 25th selection overall, it will probably pick “the best available athlete” from any of the four positions we’ve already mentioned. If that is indeed the case, the likelihood that the Seahawks will select a tight end at that spot — such as Combine monster Dustin Keller of Purdue, which one widely circulated Internet mock draft has predicted — is considered by most close to the team to be a bit of a reach. Spending a first-day pick on a tight end, however, is a whole different story, with that pick immediately projected to be an integral component in a “tight end by committee” in Mike Holmgren’s final year at the helm. “Asking any rookie to start right away at tight end in Holmgren’s offense is probably too much to ask,” one team source told PFW. “But the team really needs to upgrade the position with a Jerramy Stevens-type talent, without the baggage.”  

March 12, 2008   

Seahwks' backfield in perpetual motion

While the recent additions of free-agent RBs T.J. Duckett and Julius Jones would appear to be greasing the skids for veteran Shaun Alexander, a player numerous team observers consider as good as gone after his second straight subpar, injury-plagued season, our sources tell us the team isn’t quite ready to completely cut the cord with the former league MVP just yet. Word is that, even with Duckett and Jones added to the team’s increasingly crowded backfield, the Seahawks are still hopeful of securing a long-term future featured back in the draft, with both Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart or Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall being mentioned more than a little as possible first-round selections if they are still around when Seattle picks 25th overall. Should that happen, we hear it’s a virtual certainty that Alexander will be let go, probably after June 1, which would save the team roughly $4 million. And even if it doesn’t happen, our sources tell us Alexander’s status remains shaky at best. It’s also worth noting, though, that the same thing might apply to longtime backup Maurice Morris, who conceivably could be sent packing instead of Alexander. Jones, who lost his starting role in Dallas to Marion Barber last season, is widely viewed as a younger, more physical version of Morris. In any event, a RB-by-committee seems likely in 2008, with a switch to a primary featured back a good bet the next season, when Jim Mora takes over as the head coach with what is expected to be a more conservative, run-oriented offensive approach than the one employed by Mike Holmgren. We hear Duckett, who Seattle tried to sign last year before he landed in Detroit, is expected to be the team’s badly needed short-yardage specialist, as well as a backup to FB Leonard Weaver.    

March 7, 2008   

Seahawks' special teams looking pretty shaky

There’s no denying the Seahawks’ lingering contract impasse with “franchise” CB Marcus Trufant has taken its toll — particularly in the area of special teams, where three key members of the team’s 2007 unit — popular PK Josh Brown and reserve LBs Kevin Bentley and special-teams captain Niko Koutouvides — have opted for greener pastures in St. Louis, Houston and Denver, respectively. The biggest blow, it would appear, would be the loss of Brown, who was swept off his feet by the division-rival Rams, who sources tell us offered a much more attractive up-front signing bonus to the strong-legged placekicker than the cash-strapped Seahawks were ever willing to offer. Despite losing one of the league’s ascending PKs, team insiders tell us the Hawks, at least publicly, are refusing to panic. “Everyone assumed the sky was falling after they lost Rian Lindell, but then they landed on their feet when they drafted Josh,” one source told PFW. “Look for the team to sign at least one vet to compete with a rookie (possibly undrafted) for the PK job.” We hear another factor in Brown’s decision to jump ship was the team’s instability at long-snapper both last season and going into this offseason. With holdover Jeff Robinson presumably out of the mix, that position has become yet another hole to fill on special teams.

February

Feb. 29, 2008   

New deal for Trufant a major challenge

In a perfect world, we hear the Seahawks would like nothing more right about now than to greatly shrink what general manager Tim Ruskell is calling “the big footprint in the (salary) cap” — the $9.465 million franchise tender CB Marcus Trufant will receive if the team is unable to reach a new long-term contract agreement with their first-time Pro Bowler. But with CB Nate Clements’ eight-year, $80 million deal with the Niners last offseason setting what the Seahawks believe is an unreasonable parameter for a new Trufant deal, the team appeared to be facing a major challenge on the eve of free agency. As of Thursday morning, team sources tell us the only specific offer that had been placed on the table was modeled after the one received by CB Champ Bailey from the Broncos in 2004 after he was acquired in a trade with the Redskins. Word is the Seahawks are willing to offer Trufant a six-year deal averaging $8 million annually — but without the $13 million in base salary and bonuses that made up the final year of Bailey’s seven-year, $63 million deal with Denver. In any event, as long as the Hawks remain on the hook for nearly $10 million in cap money for Trufant, the odds of holding on to the team’s two most coveted free agents aside from Trufant (PK Josh Brown and reserve LB/special-teams ace Niko Koutouvides) are probably 50-50 at best.

Feb. 20, 2008   

Wahle signing sets table for more O-line moves

Our sources in Seattle will be very surprised if the aggressive signing of former Pro Bowl OG Mike Wahle to a five-year contract is the only offseason move the Seahawks make to fortify an offensive line that still could stand some help at every position. The consensus in league circles is that the 30-year-old Wahle, who was cut by Carolina in a salary-cap move, figures to be a very serviceable addition quite capable of providing the consistent play at left guard that has been missing since Steve Hutchinson split the scene for Minnesota after the 2005 season. The 6-foot-6, 304-pound Wahle has started every regular-season game six of the past seven years and — as is the case with just about all of the free agents that GM Tim Ruskell has added to the organization — is a high-character grinder who figures to fortify an already cohesive locker room. Wahle’s local roots were a key factor in choosing the Seahawks over what we’re told were a number of suitors. The team still has major concerns at the guard position, however, with incumbent ORG Chris Gray considered a very large question mark heading into what would be his 16th pro season. Look for a couple more challengers via free agency and the draft to challenge Rob Sims — last year’s inconsistent starter at left guard — massive fourth-year pro Ray Willis and ’07 fourth-round rookie Mansfield Wrotto at right guard in what figures to be a wide-open battle in training camp.

Feb. 15, 2008   

Holmgren, Mora energized by new coaching arrangement

While there’s no denying the fact that the Seahawks will sorely miss valued longtime assistants Jim Zorn (QB coach) and Stump Mitchell (RB coach), who’ve gone to work for Daniel Snyder and the Redskins, we hear the vibe couldn’t be more positive on the Seattle coaching staff following the team’s decision to promote assistant head coach in charge of defensive backs Jim Mora to the head-coach post after Mike Holmgren officially calls it quits at the end of the ’08 season. Daily team observers tell us Holmgren really seems energized by the new arrangement, and that a collaborative effort this coming season shouldn’t be a problem. It will be interesting, though, to see to what extent Mora becomes involved in personnel moves going forward. “Everybody is being very careful to stay in their lanes,” one longtime team observer told PFW. “As far as the day-to-day stuff, Mike will still be the man. But I’m pretty sure it will be a different story with more long-range concerns.” We hear the decision to make Mora the head-coach-in-waiting (with a five-year contract extension that will reportedly pay him $5 million per year starting next season) was also quite well received by the Seahawks’ players, especially the defenders. Known as a “players’ coach,” perhaps to a fault in Atlanta, Mora has told team insiders he realizes that he needs to be more of a CEO type “who stays above the fray” in this latest opportunity. And he further realizes Holmgren is the perfect model along those lines.

January

Jan. 30, 2008   

Zorn will be missed, but Seahawks should survive

The way we hear it, Jim Zorn would still be the Seahawks’ QB coach, the position he had held the past seven seasons, if the team had been able to assure him that he would, among other things, become the team’s offensive coordinator after head coach Mike Holmgren retires next season. With the team unwilling to do so, Zorn struck a deal to become the Redskins’ next offensive coordinator. While there’s no denying that the popular Zorn, who was a star player in Seattle, will be sorely missed, daily team observers doubt there will be any drop-off in the effectiveness of QB Matt Hasselbeck, whose comfort level with Holmgren’s offense has never been greater. Zorn often served as a conduit between Hasselbeck and Holmgren, but at this stage in their sometimes-tenuous relationship, the consensus seems to be that the Seahawks’ quarterback and head coach figure to very much be on the same page in Holmgren’s final season with the team. As one team insider put it, “At this point, Hasselbeck has pretty much become a finished product anyway.” On the other hand, it could take a while for the Seahawks' players to get used to not having Zorn around anymore. “Jim is almost like a father figure to everybody on the team, especially the quarterbacks,” backup QB Seneca Wallace recently told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “He’s been around here for a long time, and his knowledge is amazing — not only football, but just life.”