State of the Seahawks

[j2v]

State of the Seahawks

 

Seattle was decimated by injuries last season; Matt Hasselbeck missed half the season, the entire offensive line ended the year on IR, and they went through so many receivers that Logan Payne and Mike Bumpus actually started games for them. Hass's back is healthy, and the Seahawks added T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a corps of receivers that should welcome Nate Burleson and Deion Branch back from injuries. Is that enough to get you fired up about the Seahawks in the first year post Walrus?

[tonorator]

Is that enough to get you fired up about the Seahawks in the first year post Walrus?

 

no

[Seahawks21]

This is one of the biggest question marks of a team that I can recall, because of the injuries and coaching change. Will the 09 version be closer to the 07 Seahawks or the 08 version? I have seen projections everywhere from 3-13 to 12-4. My guess is about 6-10. Would anybody care to project a record?

[rattsass]

This is one of the biggest question marks of a team that I can recall, because of the injuries and coaching change. Will the 09 version be closer to the 07 Seahawks or the 08 version? I have seen projections everywhere from 3-13 to 12-4. My guess is about 6-10. Would anybody care to project a record?

Playoff bound at 10-6.

[godtomsatan]

This is one of the biggest question marks of a team that I can recall, because of the injuries and coaching change. Will the 09 version be closer to the 07 Seahawks or the 08 version? I have seen projections everywhere from 3-13 to 12-4. My guess is about 6-10. Would anybody care to project a record?

 

We'll know right away how good they'll be. vs. STL and @ SFO in weeks 1 and 2. An 0-2 start there and we're looking at 3-4 wins. A 2-0 start then I'll be very eager to see that week 3 game vs. Chicago.

 

There's a recipe with these ingredients (personnel) that indicate the Hawks fall really flat on their face. A bunch of possession receivers with no real go-to threat. A committee of castoffs. A defense that was terrible a year ago with some significant adjustments, but it still feels like a group counting on a few too many guys to bounce back to their old levels in order to succeed.

 

Then again, Matt Hasselbeck says he's healthy. They added Houshmandzadeh to anchor the WR corps, which includes a couple of knee reclamation projects in Burleson and Branch, and while it couldn't be as bad as it was last year with the injuries and personnel, it remains to be seen how good that group can be. TE John Carlson looks like a minor stud at his position.

 

The running game won't be as bad as predicted. Greg Knapp and Jim Mora have pretty significant track records of running the football really well, and there seems to be the basis of a committee made of crud that could do some kind of job. Keep in mind that there's some retooling on the offensive line that needs to take place in order for the real benefits to the running game to occur.

 

And if the running game doesn't work, then maybe the passing game takes off.

 

All in all I see a 6 or 7 win squad, with maybe an upside to 8 or 9 depending on a few breaks.

[Thunder Chicken]

Mike Wahle Released LINK

 

Speculation is that he will announce his retirement.

 

If Jones is 100% that still leaves huge questions for the other 4 positions on the O Line. Rookie Unger may end up playing guard.

 

If the RBBC in seattle is going to produce anything worthwhile the OL has got to be solid.

 

Camp opened today so we'll see.

 

Prediction: 9-7

[darin3]

Surprised there was no question related to Houshmandzadeh. I think he'll post good numbers up there.

[Thunder Chicken]

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck sat down with Brock and Salk at the VMAC today, and said he is excited to get on the field with his newest weapon, TJ Houshmandzadeh.

 

"One of the things I'm learning is that you gotta put it near him and he'll get it, he's not necessarily going to run away from everybody but if you put it on his body, put it in the vicinity give him a chance to go up and get it...that's one of the things that sticks out."

 

Listen to everything Matthew had to say by listening to the entire interview right Here.

 

Exerts from Brock Huards look at day 4 of camp...

 

1. Housh is the best WR I have seen with the Seahawks. He is everything Carson Palmer told us he would be. Physical, strong, relentless and a RB-like lower body coupled with strong and reliable hands. Put the ball around him, and he is coming down with it. Seneca said to us today he’s like Bobby Engram with elite size and strength, and he has far surpassed my expectations as to his play-making ability.

 

4. Branch and Burleson are both moving in and out of their breaks easily and are competing and contending for the ball in a way that is contagious and beneficial to their younger WR mates.

 

5. John Carlson is lining up in multiple positions: on the line of scrimmage, split out wide, in motion and even in the backfield in pass protection and on passing down situations.

[westvirginia]

Jim Mora and Greg Knapp love using the TE position. Carlson will get a bunch of looks in this offense, IMO.

[Randall]

I'm holding onto Seneca Wallace just in case.

[Thunder Chicken]

HAHA.

 

Hass raced back for the second practice today..... 4 hours early. got there at 2:45, Practice is at 6:15.

 

at least he is eager.

[Seahawks21]

Hasselbeck seems a little worried in that interview. He seems worried about how vague the routes are, where the WR's have the ability to improvise. Under Holmgren, he was more like an Aikman type. The WR's had to run precise routes, and Matt had to get rid of the ball on time, and put it in a certain spot. This improvisation stuff is a bit new to him. He is not used to guessing. He seeems a little frustrated. I'm going to practice tomorrow, so I'll be watching for the timing aspect here. It wouldn't surprise me if it took a handful of games even into the regular season before they get that part of things clicking.

 

Another thought, this line might end up as one of the worst in the league. Mora has been talking about moving Locklear to guard and inserting Ray Willis at tackle. Also, it sounds like rookie Max Unger has absolutely had his hands full in pass protection (even against Craig Terrill!), so he may take some seasoning before he is ready to go. We already know this line can't run block, but if they can't pass block either, the Seahawks' offense will have galactic problems. Maybe I'll feel more optimistic as the season gets closer, but I see a lot of bad, bad pieces in key spots on this Seahawks roster. I think 4-12 is more likely than 10-6 at this point.

[bushwacked]

8-8

[bpwallace49]

The Seahawks has probably the worst starting RB in the league right now. Plus the backups have no real upside either.

 

Add that into a line that is projected to be very poor, and I cant see more than 6 wins.

 

Housh/ Carlson/Burleson will have value as they pass to keep up every game, but the defense will get worn down, negating their value as a unit (although some of the IDPs should be VERY good due tom increased opportunities).

[Seahawks21]

The Seahawks has probably the worst starting RB in the league right now. Plus the backups have no real upside either.

 

Add that into a line that is projected to be very poor, and I cant see more than 6 wins.

 

Housh/ Carlson/Burleson will have value as they pass to keep up every game, but the defense will get worn down, negating their value as a unit (although some of the IDPs should be VERY good due tom increased opportunities).

Somehow this team only ended up 19th in the NFL in rushing last year. I would have thought they weren't in the top 25. If you give one player most of those yards, it would turn JJ into a decent back. He did average well over 4 YPC last year. Personally, I don't see it at all, but the stats actually aren't as terrible as you might think. They also led the division in rushing. Again, I have no idea how, with Jackson and Gore in the division. This was with a really bad line as well.

[bpwallace49]

Somehow this team only ended up 19th in the NFL in rushing last year. I would have thought they weren't in the top 25. If you give one player most of those yards, it would turn JJ into a decent back. He did average well over 4 YPC last year. Personally, I don't see it at all, but the stats actually aren't as terrible as you might think. They also led the division in rushing. Again, I have no idea how, with Jackson and Gore in the division. This was with a really bad line as well.

 

And none of that information endears ANY of the Seahawks RBs to me in fantasy . . . none of them were reliable on a weekly basis, and the line is now (arguably) worse.

 

If only my league got stats for YPC . . . but they dont.

[heehawks]

My main concern at this point is that Aaron Curry is still unsigned. You would think that Paul Allen would step in at some point and pay the man. Rookie holdouts are notoriously injury plagued and take a long time to adjust after long holdouts.

 

We NEED to get him into camp asap!!

 

As for the offense, I think the heehawks will be a better running team than last year due to the fact that Mora will be running, running, running. That being said, if the Defense can't stop anyone, then the passing game will surely be able to hold its own.

 

9-7 at the worst

[Thunder Chicken]

I'm going to practice tomorrow,

 

How was practice? Do you have any updates not seen in Regulare reporting or Twitter?

[skylive5]

My main concern at this point is that Aaron Curry is still unsigned. You would think that Paul Allen would step in at some point and pay the man. Rookie holdouts are notoriously injury plagued and take a long time to adjust after long holdouts.

 

We NEED to get him into camp asap!!

 

Curry is NOT going to save the Seahawk season.

[Thunder Chicken]

More probs for the O Line...

 

C Chris Spencer was carted off the field with a lower leg injury during the morning practice.

[godtomsatan]

More probs for the O Line...

 

C Chris Spencer was carted off the field with a lower leg injury during the morning practice.

 

Problems or solutions?

[Thunder Chicken]

[Scooby]

addition by subtraction

[Seahawks21]

Spencer is actually pretty good. He was turning a major corner last season before he got hurt. He was rubbing and getting to the second level, which is probably the most difficult thing for a young lineman to get a feel for, at least in the running game. So far it sounds like it isn't anything serious.

 

Practice yesterday was very BLAH. The passing game looked TERRIBLE. All of the QB's, not just Matt. The defense clearly won the day. Some random thoughts:

 

Max Unger got used repeatedly in pass-rush drills. He got thrown to the ground by smaller guys which was alarming.

 

Cory Redding is a big, big man. He makes Kerney look like a DB. He should be a big help to shore up the run D once he gets used to playing DE.

 

Ken Lucas was actually quite surprising, especially in bump 'n run. He didn't go against Housh much, but Burleson had trouble getting off the ball against him, and Branch was absolutely shut down by him. He didn't get off the ball clean all day. I had hoped that Josh Wilson would take that job, but at least yesterday, Lucas looked quite a bit more like a starting corner than Wilson did.

 

I can never remember his name, but the safety the Seahawks drafted in the 7th round is quite a specimen. Big and fast. You could tell he was a little busy thinking instead of moving, but he looks like a freak. If/when the Seahawks end up out of the playoff hunt, my bet is that he will end up starting over Russell.

 

Obomanu looked crisp. I wish I had gotten to see more of D. Butler. Butler looked quick in individual drills, but didn't get any balls thrown to him during team practice.

 

Forsett looked awfully quick, but extremely small!! I knew he was small, but wow!

 

Red Bryant and Cole are BIG BOYS!!! Our OL isn't the best by any stretch, but they couldn't move them an inch. With those guys platooning and Mebane playing nose, this might be the best interior we've had since Adams/Kennedy.

 

All in all, the practice was both incredibly flat and incredibly sloppy. The crowd was actually really cheering for the defense, which is quite a 180 from what we saw during the Holmgren era. Again, the passing game looked AWFUL. Matt held onto the ball way too long, and would have been sacked about a dozen times if the team practice was a game. Him and the receivers just weren't on the same page. A couple times he forced the ball to Housh when Matt was pressured, and Housh simply went up and grabbed the ball. The guy is gonna make some plays. Nothing flashy, just goes and gets the ball. The practice did make me quite scared though that this offense may take quite a while to get under Knapp.

[Thunder Chicken]

Thanks for the info.

 

How did Bumpus look?