Thinking Outside the Bun!

True to his word, Mike Holmgren is working Seneca (not Taco) Wallace into the team in different ways other than quarterback, having him returning punts yesterday in practice.

From the Seattle Times...Holmgren had said he wanted to find more ways to get the athletic Wallace, who enters his third pro season without ever having played in a regular-season game, on the field.

"It's something I would like to do," Wallace said. "I would love to get in the game and mess around. The key to being successful is catching the ball first. It's a chance to run on the field and let your talents take over."

I think this could be great for our special teams and our offense.

Maybe we can return to the "exciting" style of football of the late 1970-s Seahawks, with flea flickers, and WR option passes and stuff.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following story has nothing to do with Taco Wallace, but instead, it is regarding backup QB Seneca Wallace. All contributors to 12 Seahawks Street are requested not to make posts while they are exhausted, inebriated, and/or taking temporary leave of their senses. The staff at 12 Seahawks Street would like to apologize to the entire Wallace family, including his father Burrito, his mother Enchilada, and his sister who is recuperating from a nasty yeast infection, Nachos with Cheese.

Memory Lane: Brady Gets Creamed

I think this was my favorite play from last year, when Okeafor and Boulware clobbered Brady. He lost his helmet, the ball, and some blood from his lip.


All in all, a good play.


So what was your favorite play of last season?
.

Amazing Changes

Even Big Walter was surprised today.

I know I was more than a little geeked over a statement made today on Seahawks.com:

"The sticky fingers of receivers Joe Jurevicius and Jerome Pathon caught everything thrown their way, as did tight end Ryan Hannam, who had a couple of spectacular diving catches."

Mark my words -- Barring unjury, this will be Matt Hasslebecks' finest season to date. How could he not, with receivers that actually hang on to the ball?

Dang, I can't wait for this season to start!

Shorts and Helmets!

On the front page of Seahawks.com there's a Day 1 recap interview with Mike Holmgren.

He talks a lot about the new players, and there's GREAT footage of guys actually running football drills (as opposed to lifting weights and doing chin-ups!) The new guys like Sharper, Lofa and Spencer are looking pretty good in our gear.

I can't provide the direct link to the video stream with the new way Seahawks.com is posting their multimedia files. Click the title of this article to get to the Seahawks.com site.

Chris Spencer

OK, we covered the Walt/Hutch picture in pretty deep detail, but if you look at the rest of the snaps from the first day of mini-camp, they all lend themselves to coming up with creative captions.

So, since it's a slow news week, let's use the Comment section to come up with the best captions for these mini-camp pictures!

I created a separate topic for each picture so we can post our Captions under each photo.

Remember to scroll down to see the other mini-camp pix, as well as the other articles posted to this blog today.

(click on the Picture to add/read Comments)

Lofa Tatupu

(click on the Picture to add/read Comments)

Chartric Darby

(click on the Picture to add/read Comments)

Practice is a Snap!

(click on the Picture to add/read Comments)

Hutch -- Please Explain!

Ok, I know there HAS to be an explanation. Alba touched on this already, but it needs to be addressed.

This zoom is from a picture posted on Seahawks.com of Walter Jones. Here you can see LG Steve Hutchinson in the background, clearly identified by his number, albeit a tad blurry.

But I have to know - What is he doing?

Is he:

A. Showing rookie center Chris Spencer how the pros do it.

B. Filling in. Not only is Shaun holding out, apparently Mrs. Hutchinson is, too.

C. Finding Waldo.



Help me out here!


.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

The player pictured to the right is Walter Jones. Can you guess what's wrong with it?

A. He is missing shoulder pads and has his helment unbuckled

B. It's April and Walter is in Seattle working out

C. Steve Hutchinson seems to be enjoying practice more than anyone!

Actually this picture is from Seahawks.com where there are a few others of our recently drafted players decked out in their Seahawks gear at the first mini-camp of the season.

Monkey's gonna be psyched as not only is there a great picture of Lofa on this page, but it's the featured picture for the link to the story on the home page.

Notes from our Insider

Here's a post from "Mary Smith" (not pictured), our source on the Seattle Times Fan Forum for insider information about the Seahawks.

The team is approaching the Shaun situation as if he will be our running back next season. There is no real interest in getting a long term deal signed, but they do want him in training camp. If all else fails, a promise could potentially be made to refrain from using the FT on him next season. The reasoning behind this is that his chance of injury rises significantly if he misses training camp, if he doesn't have to worry about the FT he can approach the season as another contract year with all of the possible monetary benefits, and then we go out and find someone else at years end.

Koren's leash is getting shorter. The report in PFW was correct, but it is the opinion of some that he has already screwed up by missing some workouts and meetings.

Chad isn't garnering as much interest as he would like people to think. Even with all of the teams that he is supposedly visiting, no one is offering anything more than the league minimum except the Seahawks.

*Again - take all of this with a grain of salt. Just my thoughts and observations.

Mary, aka Linc, correctly called the Womack and Mili signings, a good day or two before the news broke anywhere else, so she's proved herself to be reliable. Not everything she posts is straight from the FO, some is her own personal viewpoint, but fact or opinions, she's definitely someone worth paying attention to!

Who's Cooler Than Clare?

In his piece in the Post Intelligencer this morning, the article by Clare Farnsworth incorrectly referred to the Seahawks releasing "right tackle Chris Gray", instead of Chris Terry.

I emailed him when I ran into the typo this morning over my coffee, and this is the response that I just received from him:

Thanks. I just sent a correction to the new media folks to fix that. What can I say? A definite brain fart. I need a vacation. ... clare

Not only does the guy take time to reply to his readership, but he's willing to admit to an honest mistake. Sad that things like accessibility and personal responsibility are so refreshing in today's day and age!

Interesting sale item on Seahawks.com Pro shop

I was checking to see if any sweatshirts were on sale now, and looking for a foam head, when I noticed the weirdest things on sale at the pro shop.

I expected the Rice, Lucas, and Simmons jerseys, but #37 home and road jerseys, womens home, and youth road jerseys, are they sending a message? Seems pretty wild to have a fire sale on your franchise players gear. Or maybe its just not selling well since "the remark", anyway, something to think about.

Also, there is an awful lot of ladies unmentionables on sale, I guess they don't sell well either. Dang wimmen don't know whats good for 'em I guess.

Finally, and I'm sorry if anybody has these, but this leisure suit is so freaking ugly its comical. I cannot imagine anyone wearing it... ever. Not even at home. I might consider wearing it on a bet, but that is about it. Again, sorry if you are looking down at it now, wondering what my problem is... but trust me, it don't look good.

Our Biggest Draft Need

First there was Trent Dilfer, with his comments on KJR Radio, plainly lambasting unnamed teammates for their lack of heart and commitment.

Then Chike Okeafor delivered his parting shots, stating, "It’s just in the attitude. There is a different attitude here. One thing over there (Seattle), I felt alone. Not surrounded by enough people who thought like me, felt like me, played like me on a day to day basis, and loved the game like me."

Then we had Rams wideout Torry Holt's comments on Saturday's ESPN's draft coverage -- When asked how the Rams managed to beat the Seahawks three times this season, said that they matched up well on paper, but three times said, "We thought we could out-mentally tough them(sic)."

First I would like to applaud Ruskell and his supporting administration for the great job they've done in rectifying the 'character' issue. But the job ain't done yet.

Mike Sando reports in the Trib some quotes that indicate Chad Brown has shared the same sentiment:

“I have played in a Super Bowl for the Pittsburgh Steelers and I have been on the No. 1-ranked defense in the league and I have been on the last-ranked defense in the league,” Brown said. “And there’s definitely a difference in attitude and consistency of preparation and focus that goes into it, and I can provide insight into that.

“I was in Seattle for eight years and have three playoff losses to show for it. I need some playoff victories and hopefully a Super Bowl victory to round out this game that has given me so much.”

I realize that Chad is actually commenting on past history, and in context, he is advertising his wares, talking about what he has to offer to the next team. But it does confirm the consensus, that this teams biggest need in the 2005 NFL draft was not defensive end, not linebacker, not wide receiver, not an edge rusher.

It was character. And they addressed this need nicely.

It's Camp Time!

As reveille sounds at the breaking of dawn,
Each Seahawk awakes with a grunt and a yawn.
It's the first day of mini-camp, it's finally here,
Now line up the rookies to carry our gear!


It's closed to he public, so nobody knows,
Just what is a mini-camp, but everyone goes.
From the eldest of veterans, to the undrafted FAs,
With one notable exception, whose initials are SA!


They call it a mini-camp, but how can this be?
Do the kick off a small football, atop a golf tee?
Whatever the size, to make me a believer,
They'd best use a ball to put the "receive" in receiver!


And all of the questions to come out of the draft,
Is Ruskell a genius or just incredibly daft?
And what's up with Holmy, is this his last year?
Will SA and K-Rob again wear our gear?

On Shaper, on Herndon, on Fisher, on Dyson,
With these Free Agent moves, we'll hit opponents like Tyson!
And returning starters like Pork, Walt and Hass,
Expect this year's Seahawks to kick some Ram Ass!

So slop on the sunscreen, and break out the bug spray,
Because the new season, is unofficially underway.
Mini-camp is upon us, first step toward our goal,
Of Dee-troit in February for the XL Super Bowl!

The Buc stops THERE

According to the Tampa Tribune Bucs college scouting director Ruston Webster, rumored to be heading to Seattle to join his old pal Ruskell, is unlikely to join another organization.

He signed a new deal with Tampa Bay after Bruce Allen (pictured) replaced Rich McKay as general manager. In recent years, Tampa Bay has blocked the departure of several assistants, including defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia.

"You give up some things for added security," Allen said last year.

How to Blog

With the number of new contributors on this blog, which is GREAT, I thought I would re-post this How to Blog piece.

This piece, along with Posting Guidelines and FAQs, is always accessible using the top drop down list in the right hand index.

Also, there are a lot of good links available, for Seahawks info as well as Blogging Tools, by clicking the More Seahawks Links option in the second drop down list in the right index.

Hope this Helps!

Endangered Species

DISCLAIMER I: Keep in mind, this is purely from the money angle so I hope this doesn't degenerate into a p*ssing contest on who we should keep.

DISCLAIMER II: Although the June 1st cuts allow the team to spread the cap hit, in general you have to be careful not to throw caution into the wind and pile up the dead cap money. You save money for the oncoming season, but that money still has to be paid and accumulates rather quickly in future dead cap.As it stands today, the Seahawks will carry $0 in dead cap into 2006 (more proof that the Rams knuckleheads who keep wishing we were in 'cap hell' are clueless, but we already knew that). Any cuts after June 1st will automatically generate dead cap space (if they are players with unamoratized signing bonuses).

Here is what I call our "Endangered Species" list.

Bobby Taylor (cap savings $2 million)
Cedric Woodard (cap savings $1.7 million)
Koren Robinson (cap savings $1.35 million)
Bobby Engram (cap savings $1.2 million)
Jerramy Stevens (cap savings $788,000)

Taylor is about 99% a given to be let go, because we need that money for the rookies.After that, if we are looking at an edge rusher and a veteran QB or other June 1st releases, other moves will have to be made -- and I'd say one of the players on the above list are likely targets.

The other 'ace in the hole' is if they sign Shaun Alexander to a long-term deal in July -- that should reduce his cap hit (currently $6.3 million as the franchise player) a few million.

Masthead Greeting Contest

Alright, the paragraph in the masthead admittedly sucks.

I've been struggling with it for a while. I think we need SOMETHING that describes briefly what this site is, and how all Seahawks fans are a part of it. But I'm banging my head on the monitor trying to come up with something good. What we have now is wordy, trite, contrived, and annoying.

So now I turn to you, #12.

What should it say? Should it be a graphic? This is important to this site, so let me know below. You all have a voice.

Get a piece of the blog...

We are now a publicly traded entity. Click below to get your shares while they're still available!

You Gotta Like Them Odds!

ESPN Sports Nation has the Vegas odds for all 32 NFL teams for winning their Conference, winning the SuperBowl, and the over/under on total regular season wins.

The Seahawks are 22-to-1 for the SuperBowl, 10-to-1 for winning the NFC, and our over/under is 10 wins. In the NFC, only the Eagles (12) and Falcons (11) have higher over/under figures, and the Vikings are also at 10.

Likewise the Eagles are 2/1 favorites to represent the NFC in the SB, the Falcons are 7.5/1 and the Vikes again are tied with us at 10/1.

The Lambs are 40/1 for the SuperBowl, 16/1 for the Conference and have an O/U of 8.

The House of Cardinals are 50/1 for the SB, 18/1 for the NFC and have an O/U of 8.

The Flamer-9ers are 180/1, 75/1 with an O/U of 4!

No surprise that the Patriots are favored at 6-1 to win SB XL, 3-1 favorites to represent the AFC and have an O/U of 13. That's out of hand!

AFC Teams with better SB odds than the Seahawks include the Colts (7/1), Steelers (15/1), Raiders (16/1), Ravens (18/1), Chiefs (18/1), Jets (20/1), and Chargers tied us at 22/1.

Understanding that these odds are mainly set to entice people to lay down their hard earned cash in bets, and they are due to change dramatically as the betting pool grows and the season draws nearer, I still like being the 3rd seed in the NFC at this point!

Draft Day Fallout: Shaun Was Shopped

Jay Glazier of FoxSports.com reports the following:

"Several NFL executives told FOXSports.com they received calls on Friday from the Seahawks, who were trying to trade RB Shaun Alexander. The price tag for the Pro Bowl RB was a first-round draft pick, with the team calling in the middle of the first round.

"Alexander and any trade value that Colts RB Edgerrin James may have had were greatly diminished by the financial ramifications of adding either to a team's roster."

I know that this is not earth shaking to all of you that follow this site, but it does add to the baggage of the situation.

Rusky, sign this guy in June. Pretty please!?!

Visit My Trophy Case...

Thank you all for humoring me. It's been a very fun couple of months.

Two Hass To Be Better Then One

Fourth-string quarterback Tim Hasselbeck met with Gibbs to discuss his likely departure. Gibbs later indicated that Hasselbeck is free to seek a trade but the coach stopped short of saying Washington would cut Hasselbeck.

"Whatever [Hasselbeck's and agent David Dunn's] desires are, we're just going to talk about it," Gibbs said. "And we'll try to do what's best for the team and them, and we'll be real sensitive to what they want."

Hmmm...the Seahawks still need a veteran backup...they are looking for a better backup...their starting QB's last name is Hasselbeck...their QB wants to be traded...put 1 and 1 together! (no pun intended)

Think it could be a good fit?

An early peek at 2006

I know, I know -- its not even the 2005 season yet. But I thought it might be interesting to roll out and take a look at 2006 as far as our free agents go.

Here is a listing of players on the current roster who will be free agents (mostly UFA's, but some RFA's as well) after the 2005 season. Projected starters are in red text:

Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson, Koren Robinson, Mack Strong, Maurice Morris, Joe Jurevicius, Jerry Wunsch, Ryan Hannam, Kris Richard, Terreal Bierria, Marquand Manuel, Kevin Bentley, Wayne Hunter, Seneca Wallace, Joe Tafoya, Salomon Bates, Omare Lowe, Otis Leverette, Leo Araguz, Rashad Moore, Josh Brown, Taco Wallace, Tracy White, Kerry Carter, Kevin House, Jerheme Urban, Jason Willis, Jordan Babineaux, Terrence Robinson, Christian Mohr, Ryan Dutton, Marque Davis, Kevin Miller, Michael Harden.

There are several intriguing discussion points from that list.

1. Will Alexander be on the roster by the start of the 2005 season?
2. Will Robinson be released/traded after June 1st?
3. Will Mack Strong retire after the 2005 campaign?

It's clear that Hutch will get a mega deal, and it's safe to say Josh Brown will be due for a nice raise as well.

I'll put my amateur capologist hat on for a minute and address the salary cap for next season. The Seahawks are sitting pretty as of current, with no dead cap on the books into 2006 (all of the releases to date have obviously been prior to June 1st so all the dead money gets applied to the 2005 cap). I expect that will change with the release of Bobby Taylor after June 1st (which frees up $2 million and is almost a foregone conclusion because we need the cap space to sign the rookie class).

If we guesstimate the NFL cap for 2006 will be around $90 million, the Seahawks will have somewhere (very fringe guess right now because it's so far in advance) around $20-22 million under the cap.

One big detriment is that under the CBA extension of 2001, signing bonus proration is limited each year we march towards the final uncapped year. For contracts signed in 2005 (like Hass and Jones, for example), the limit is 5 years and that will be reduced to 4 next year. That was one reason why it was so critical to get Hass and Jones locked up NOW, as the cap hit for large deals swells considerably when you can only spread the bonus so far.

Long story short, there will be far fewer players to address next off season -- and I think it's safe to say we'll never face another situation like this year's 16 UFA's!

We should be in great position to sign Hutch long term (hopefully way before the next free agent window), keep the core guys from the above list, and sign several impact free agents frm other teams.

Greg

Poll: Should We Cover the Sonics?

Yeah, I'm all geeked out about the Sonics. Let me know what you think here.

12 Seahawks Street Poll Should 12 Seahawks Street cover the Sonics during the playoffs? YES! Sure, but keep it to one thread per day. No, this is a Seahawks blog. We can get Sonics info elsewhere. view results Easy online poll builder - free! $5 Web Hosting!

Writing on the wall?

The Seahawks currently have 11 WR's on the roster: Darell Jackson, Koren Robinson, Bobby Engram, Joe Jurevicius, Jerome Pathon, Alex Bannister, Jerheme Urban, Taco Wallace, DJ Hackett, Jason Willis and Marque Davis.

I can't see any more than 6 making the final 53-man roster, and we all know Bannister has a spot for good because he is our special teams ace/"gunner".

There has been a lot of discussion about the future of KRob -- will he be a Seahawk come the start of the season?

I have to think the free agent signings of Jurevicius and Pathon might indicate the writing is on the wall.

I think we'll see the following make the roster: DJack, Pathon, Jurevicius, Engram, Urban and Bannister.

Koren (IMO) will be gone sometime after June 1st, although maybe they let him come to camp and fight for a spot. I just don't get the sense that he fits Tim Ruskell's vision for high character/hard working blue collar guys.

Thought?

Draft Summary

This is just a summary page of links to all the great stories and posts that were made as the Seahawks were making their draft selections.

1. Chris Spencer - C (Ole Miss)
2. Lofa Tatupu - LB/SS (USC)
3. David Greene QB (Georgia)
4. LeRoy Hill - LB/DE (Clemson)
5. Ray Willis - OT (Florida State)
6. Jeb Huckeba LB/DE (Arkansas)
7. Tony Jackson TE/FB (Iowa)
8. James "Cornelius" Wortham - LB (Alabama)
9. Doug Nienhuis - OT (Oregon State)

Draft Day Chat Board

Seahawks Sign 9 Undrafted Free Agents

Audio Interviews with Draftees and Coaches on Seahawks.com

Chris Davis 2003 - 2005

Dearly Beloved -

We are gathered here today, not to mourn the passing of Chris Davis as a Seahawk, but rather to celebrate the man who was known to those who loved him as "Moonlight Graham".

To paraphrase the ill fated baseball player from the movie Field of Dreams, when we think of Chris Davis and his brief career in Seattle, let us think it not a shame that he only got to play in just one regular season game, not ever being a Seahawk, now THAT would truly have been a shame.

His talent and charisma could not bring him the football accolades and success that he so desired, but according to inside sources, his last words before departing for the great beyond were "at least I had my own blog on the 12 Seahawks Street site."

So tonight ladies and gentlemen, as you are tucking your kids into bed, or kissing your spouse goodnight, pause breifly, blink and smile, as an apt tribute to fondly remember the Seattle Seahawks Career of Chris "Moonlight Graham" Davis."

Can I get an AMEN from the Choir??!!

Video Clips of Each of our Draft Picks

I thought you guys might enjoy this.
Just click on the picture then click on the little camera next to whichever players name whose video you wish to see.

Need More Reason to Hate Ram Fan?

I won't post the image on this site, as it's sacreligous, but click on this link and scroll down until you see the large graphic.

I'm on record as saying "I don't care if we go 2-14, as long as both wins are against the Rams!"

Division rivals depressed after the draft?

With the fourth and seventh rankings in the 20 most depressed cities, St Louis and Phoenix concur that Brenda Warner is both hideous and the effects can be long lasting.

Apparently the San Francisco bay area is too light-hearted and loafered to realize they should be depressed, as San Jose was 8th happiest city.


Click here to see the list

Lofa L-O-F-A Lofa la la la la Lofaaaa

Click the Picture to Meet the Newest Member of the Family.

The Wizard of Az-Zahir?

From ESPN.com...

Detroit Lions: The team released receiver Az-Zahir Hakim and free safety Brock Marion, and signed defensive tackle Brandon Kennedy to a one-year deal Monday.

Hakim became expendable when the Lions drafted Mike Williams and signed Kevin Johnson last week.

Hakim signed as a free agent in Detroit before the 2002 season, but did not produce the way the Lions hoped he would after watching him excel for St. Louis. He had 31 receptions for 533 yards and three touchdowns, missing four games because of injury.

Hakim has 265 receptions for 3,555 yards and 26 TDs during his seven-year career.

Hell, if K-Rob and D-Jax don't want to practice in the off season, maybe we should bring in a another talented receiver to turn up the heat?

After all, isn't REALLY better to Receive??!!

Please Come Visit

I have entirely retooled the Michael Boulware adopt a Seahawk site. It is completely streamlined and chock full of video, radio and newspaper interviews. Click on all of the pictures, because each and every picture you click on takes you to another terrific memory of Michael "Clutch" Boulware. Please come and see, and please leave comments.

Congratulations Vinny!

This post is to acknowledge our very own "Vinny" for topping the 3,000 post mark on the Seattle Time Fan Forum.

Way to go, Mr. Ironman!!!

Nobody can stop him, we can only hope to contain him!

A Snap Decision

I've already used "Spencer for Hire" and everyone and his brother has come up with "Center of Attention" so I had to find another catchy headline for the press conference to introduce our new #1 pick.

Click on the links below to go right to the 20 minute audio or video interview, or click on the title above for the transcript of the proceedings.

This guy is supposed to be so huge and strong, but with Holmy standing in the foreground, in bright yellow, Spencer looks like a defensive back!

Listen in Windows | Real (19:26)

Watch in Windows: 100 | Broadband <<<>>> Real: 100 | Broadband (19:24)

Vinny's.....An apology part III

After reading the statement made by Matt about Shaun.....I'd like to post a public apology for 'most' of what I've said about Shaun, and if he's going to be 100% team, and dedicate the off-season to us, then I'm behind him 100%.

If I'm going to preach faith in the 'Powers That Be', then that has to go for Shaun also. But that's going to include putting his body on the line this season.....blocking as well as banging away for the short stuff. And I'll buy that the jury's still out on his recieving ability. As long as we don't have to annonce our screen passes anymore. :D

Anyway, that was a tough one to get out, but it's sincere.....I can't hand out Coolaid if i'm not going to drink it, right.

Hass on Q It Up

from a thread on the Seahawks.NET fan forum...

For those who don't live in the Seattle area, Q it Up Sports is a weekly sports show that airs on the local Fox affiliate every Sunday evening at 10:30PM PST.

They bring in a local sports guy and as the post says, Hass was this weeks in studio guest. Former Hawk DT Chad Eaton was also in studio.Several topics:

1. The draft - Said Spencer was a good pick-up (Obviously) however, when Easton suggested he will play RG, Hass commented he will stay on the sideline and wait his turn at Center. He also suggested no one from this year's rookie class will start.

2. D-Jack - not showing up for off-season program. Not good.

3. Shaun Alexander - Said he deserved some of the criticism for his infamous comments after the ATL game. The host said something about his soft running style and Hass handled this pretty well...said he's running and practicing hard ... was really commitment to the team last year.

4. JoeJ, Pathon & K-Rob: In Hass' words, JoeJ and Pathon are true professionals. They were catching passes at Hawk HQ before the ink on their contracts were dry. In fact, he was surprised since the majority of WR's that are at HQ are the young guys.

As for K-Rob, he's a former first rd pick and quite frankly, Hass said he's acting like one. In addition, the team's never had real competition at the WR position since Holmy first arrived so Hass seems to be very pleased with the JoeJ and Pathon signings.

You'd better watch your back Koren, there's guys sneaking up on you to take your job!

Talking Points: Ruskell/Seahawks approach to free agency

As we are told by the mainstream media bobbleheads, the NFL is a copycat league; any successful team’s schemes and strategies, uniform colors, caterers and therapists are duplicated, although rarely with similar results. Assuming Seahawk success next year, and I am, will we be the template for a new approach to free agency? What I am referring specifically is the ability to exercise patients and sign high effort and high character replacement players without over paying.

Notable Seahawks losses:

CB Ken Lucas (FA, CAR) - Important part of our defense, tough loss, expensive.
DE Chike Okeafor (FA, ARZ) - Another important part of the D, sack leader last year, bad attitude?
LB Chad Brown (cut) - Locker room leader, injury prone and spendy, but another tough loss. Will sign somewhere, perhaps back with us?
QB Trent Dilfer (trade, CLE) - Another leader, another tough loss, but a backup player on our team. Trading him honored him and his wishes to start.
LB Anthony Simmons (cut) - Talented player, injury prone, locker room problem, not yet signed.
OT Chris Terry (cut) - Talented player, suspension prone, locker room problem, not yet signed.

Notable Seahawks signings:

LB Kevin Bentley (FA, CLE) - Decent player, cheap, will be a quality rotational player with the ability to start and put up 80 tkls/season. Depth signing.
DT Chartric Darby (FA, TB) - Decent player, cheap, will be in the DT rotation, ability to put up 40-50 tkls and a sack or two/season. Depth signing.
CB Andre Dyson (FA, TEN) - Talented player, smaller than Lucas, Int stats the same as Lucas, less tackles and PD. Direct replacement.
DE Bryce Fisher (FA, STL) - Talented player, bigger and cheaper than Okeafor with similar stats, local boy. Direct replacement.
CB Kelly Herndon (RFA, DEN) - Talented player, big heart, smaller than Lucas, and not as much of a ball hawk, PD and tckl stats similar to Lucas, but much cheaper. Will battle with Dyson for second CB; expect he'll be the third CB.
WR Joe Jurevicius (cut, TB) - Talented player, huge, huge-er heart. Has always been a #3 WR. Makes tough catches, operative word being catches
WR Jerome Pathon (cut, NO) - Talented player, has always been a #3 WR but great YPC.
LB Jamie Sharper (cut, HOU) - Talented player, tackling machine, durable. Can play any LB position, replaces Chad Brown or Simmons, and frankly both, did they put up 16 games a season together for the last 3 years?

Notable Seahawks re-signings:

QB Matt Hasselbeck - Franchise. Got paid, but not over-paid.
OT Walter Jones - Would be the franchise if it weren't for Matt. Sets the bar at both pay and play for LTs
OL Floyd Womack - Versatile, plays almost any position on the line, great depth player, good enough to start RG or RT on this team.
TE Itula Mili - He catches, something much appreciated.
WR Alex Bannister - Special team’s master, made the Pro Bowl, signed at or near minimum.
C Robbie Tobeck - Huge heart, smart, has special relationship with Matt, signed at or near minimum.
RB Shaun Alexander - Franchise and franchise tagged. His 6Mil hit this year isn't very nice, but then neither is the franchise tag. Letting him go with no compensation is worse in my opinion than the cap hit.

So if you believe my analysis, we have re-signed all but two of our notable FAs, re-signed six, got replacement players for the FAs lost, got replacements for the locker room problems and the cap casualty, and our only glaring need is a backup QB. All without putting ourselves in cap hell, on a meager budget, by what major media called a front office in disarray.

What I wonder is, assuming Seahawk success, and I still do, is what is going to happen in the 2006 free agency period. I imagine a staring contest, not one FA signed on day one, not one signed during week one. No team willing to over pay anyone. Everybody waiting for someone else to sign the high priced guys. Why pay Champ Bailey money (or Ken Lucas money) when you can pay Kelly Herndon money with similar results?

Ahh, it'll never happen, Dan Snyder isn't selling the Redskins...

It's a Sad, Sad Day!

How could the Seagals not pick JoAnna??? What were they thinking?

Well I for one plan on protestting! I am flabbergasted, disgusted, heartbroken and completely distraught at this horrible news.

Never has there been a darker day in the history of the NFL.

I will miss you JoAnna, you were the best! Bon Boyage my sweet, my favorite Seagal. Your departure will forever leave an open wound in my heart.

My Take

Although on draft day I needed to be cooled own throughout most of the day, I'm not nearly as upset as I was initially after the surprising picks went down. After reading about the plans for these guys I believe that Ruskell and company has a solid plan for them.

After trying unsuccessfully to trade down in the first round we ended up adding an early fourth round pick and taking the center who every team had rated as the best center in the draft. Spencer has a chance to become a perennial Pro Bowler, he has the size and athleticism, not to mention the character intangibles, which make him worthy of being a first round selection. We all knew that this team would be looking for a replacement for Tobeck, well we got an upgrade. How often have we all bitched about the right side of the line? With Tobeck on his last legs, this was a pick that I think we'll all be very excited about very soon.

Tatupu has a chance to become the guy who we all can identifiy this team with. I honestly believe that about him. His path to the NFL was laced with constant struggle, time after time being told that he was too small too slow, kind of reminds me of a certain receiver we all know and love by the name of Largent. Tatupu's heart and character simply over shadowed the knocks on his size, his will and determination forced U.S.C. to give him a chance, where he went on to lead the team in tackles during both of their championship seasons. This was the one guy who the coaching staff and Tim Ruskell really wanted because of his heart, determination and his ability to be a leader.

Apparently Willis, though a fourth rounder, is already being looked at as the front runner to start at RT next season. The FO is saying that only injuries moved him down that far, and that he was a steal where they got him, a sentiment being echoed by a lot of so called experts.

Greene was a guy that Jim Zorn desperately wanted, and talked the staff into taking. All he did at Georgia was win. There was a knock on him about his arm strength but after watching him play, Zorn was convinced that this left hander had the intangibles needed to become a good QB in the NFL. Zorn ought to know.

Hill was a standout at Clemson, though I'm not convinced he will be much more than a ST player for us, he was the defenses team leader at Clemson and although a bit undersized made up for it with determination, sound familiar?.

Jackson was drafted with one thing in mind, fullback. Imagine a guy his size and speed, with his ability to maul LBers lead blocking for Alexander. It sounds almost scary.

Even Huckeba has a chance to be decent, especially in the nickel defense where he is quite the edge pass rusher.

In fact, after day two of the draft I settled down quite a bit because I felt the reaches of the first day turned into steals (for the most part) on the second day. All in all I no longer have a big problem with this draft. I was never upset about the players we got, just where we got them and what we gave up to get them, too much in my opinion. But the players themselves I am quite happy about.

Most importantly, this whole draft infuses this team with much needed heart and character. This entire draft was about guys who want to compete, who want to work hard and play here. These guys are PLAYERS, not just talent. We've had enough of guys like K Rob and Stevens who are extremely talented but don't care.
Like I've always said, I would rather go to war with 30 guys who want to fight than 100 guys who are good at fighting but don't really care. It's about heart, desire and passion for the game of football, and that's exactly the type of players we got.
I think that in the end we will all be glad that we took the players we did. I believe that Ruskell has a plan to change this team from a talented group of underachievers into a group of players, with character and heart, who really care, really want to succeed. I for one am down with this plan and I cannot wait to see it unfold.

Too Soon To Tell

Sports fans being sports fans, as soon as something happens, we want to assign a score and figure out who won and who lost.

Unfortunately, with a draft, it's more like buying unlabeled seed packets from the nursery, that require care and feeding over a longer period of time, before you find out if you're cultivating vegetables or weeds!

So, instead of arguing about THIS draft, let's look a back a few years and judge how we did in previous drafts, and hopefully see if we're trending upward or downward.

In 2002 we took:
1. TE Jerramy Stevens
2a. RB Maurice Morris
3. CB Kris Richard
4. S Terreal Bierria
5a. DT Rocky Bernard
5b. TE Ryan Hannam

In 2003 we took:
1. CB Marcus Trufant
2. S Ken Hamlin
3. T Wayne Hunter
4a. QB Seneca Wallace
4b. LB Solomon Bates
5. FB Chris Davis
6. DT Rashad Moore
7a. K Josh Brown
WR Taco Wallace

In 2004 we took:
1. DT Marcus Tubbs
2. S Michael Boulware
3. T Sean Locklear
4. LB Niko Koutouvides
5. WR D.J. Hackett
6. DT Craig Terrill
7. P Donnie Jones

From these lists, 2002 would have to be considered a bust, but how many of us would have felt that way on draft day? Stevens hasn't really done much, especially as a #1 pick, and Hannam holds as much promise to be the future TE of the organization as a #6 pick. Morris is stuck behind Alexander, and Bierria got burned more last year than an Albino in Hawaii in July!

The following year, we did a little better. Tru and Hamlin have definitely warrented their status as top two selections, however the rest of the guys on the list are either stuck behind a perrenial starter, or have yet to mature to the point of being able to contribute in some form.

In 2004, things got even better. While Tubbs has been pretty much of a bust at #1, the development of Boulware and Niko into potential starters last season make them worth the #2 and #4 picks respectively.

With this brief stroll down memory lane, it kind of shows that you really only get a couple of guys out of an entire draft class to actually contribute to your team, and it's hit or miss whether it's the high draft picks or the later round guys who step up.

So, if we're looking back at the 2005 draft class in a year or two, and Spencer, or Lofa, or Huckaba are on the field making a difference, then we can't be too disappointed in this year's selections.

So What Now??

I have taken alot heat of heat for stating that I think that the Hawks are rebuilding...funny thing is that the Ruskell statements in the Times today almost confirm that is what they are doing...he is talking about a team two years down the road and how everyone will say what a great draft this was! Maybe i have just been a Seahawk fan for to long ...but this sounds very similar to what Holmy said 6 years ago! I hope that this time the front office is right...thats what most of you dont understand is that I want to be wrong! But unlike Randy...its not my nature to be a cheer leader regardless of whats going on.

So ...we have gone to the playoff's the last 2 years and we were maybe one or two players away from making a great run...my question is ..do we believe that this team right now is better then last years? and will the coach's be able to get them to gel? What happens if they dont make the playoff's? or lose in the first round again? How long are you willing to go in this direction and with Holmy? My point is regardless of the draft and FA's that were brought in this team needs to win now ..not in two or three years!

Ruskell is trying to take the pressure off this team ..is that a good thing? My old boss once told me that pressure was needed to keep people focused and working as hard as they can. he also told me that in this world "you either apply pressure or you feel it". So what will the Hawks do this year? we know last year they felt it and crumbled.

So what now???

Some Sexy Seahawks Selections!

Now here's some sexy Seahawks selections!

According to Seahawks.com, there are 15 new SeaGals to round out the squad of 32.

I'm a little sad that the buxom Joanna is no longer a member of the troupe, but I've got four new favorites in Gena, Jennifer, Megan and Valerie!

Much like our Draft this weekend, if you click through all the pictures, there's a couple that will have you saying "What the #$%& were they thinking??!!"

Enjoy the view!

Note To Contributors: Great Job, Guys!

I'm just getting back from an enjoyable 'family weekend', and have been wading through the posts and chatterbox, and am overwhelmed by what an awesome job you guys did this weekend. The content and banter were absolutely top knotch. I don't regret the time I had with the fam, but I am jealous...

I would like some of your opinion, as well. This was sort of a 'pilot' for the game days during the season. I hope to distribute jobs on a volunteer basis, to avoid double posting, and to have a gameday chat as well. Were there any ways we could improve? Consider this your suggestion box.

Also, I'm having major problems with reliablity with my computer right now- I'm suprised I'm gettign this post off- COuld someone make a summary page of the draft, with links to the post that were created for the draft picks? It would make a nice sticky, so that visitors could check the picks for a while. What you guys created was a great reference.

Again, thanks to all of you for you contribution. Being part of 12 Seahawks Street is an awesome privilege, thanks to the fun you guys put into it.

Nine New Non-Draftees

The Seattle Seahawks announced Sunday afternoon they have agreed to terms with nine undrafted college free agents:

Position / Name / School
SS / Jamaal Brimmer / UNLV
SN / Tim Galloway / Washington
G / Steven Gibbs / Arkansas State
P / Chris Kluwe / UCLA
RB / Jesse Lumsden / McMaster (Ontario, Canada)
TE / Calen Powel / Duke
FB / Leonard Weaver / Carson-Newman
RB / Marquis Weeks / Virginia
QB / Brian Wrobel / Winona State (Minnesota)

The Mummy Speaks!

Usually far from the microphones and the scrutiny of the press, Ray Rhodes apparently was tracked down on draft day for this interview on Seahawks.com.


It's good to hear what the FO was thinking during the draft, and to get Ray's input on the new players added to his unit.


Click the title of this post to read the interview, or click the picture of The Mummy to hear it.

With the 40th Pick in the 7th Round

Seattle Seahawks select Doug Nienhuis OT Oregon State Height: 6-5¾ Weight: 307

Link to Interview

Nienhuis is a player with prototype size, smooth athletic ability and proven good production as both a pass protector and drive blocker. Nienhuis was a two-year starter at left offensive tackle for Woodbridge High School, where he also lettered in basketball as a center and volleyball as a middle blocker. He was a first team All-Sea View League as a junior and senior and also earned first team all-county by the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times.

Has a very large frame with a thick chest, muscular arms and thick legs … Shows good knee bend and gets off the snap on time, showing the ability to unwind out of hisstance … While he plays with a narrow base, he can bend his knees and get good fits … Stays up and on the block, and though not a mauler or even a finisher, he works to stay in the way … Works well on combos, and is alert to games … Sound pass protector who flashes a strong hand punch … Has enough foot speed to get get an edge on the pass rusher … Has above-average athletic ability and good initial quickness to reach or cutoff … Can work from a two-point pass set and shows light feet working down the line … Slides the circle well and takes good angles vs. wide speed … When he stays low and rolls his hips, he can generate movement … Doesn't show a real nasty streak, but in 2004, he displayed enough of temperament to aggressively stay after his blocks … Has a good kick-out and pass set, showing a better hand punch and good extension as he will sit down and not overextend, so he can mirror and block the wide rusher in pass protection.