Cutting To The Chase: Hawks Must Release 22 More Players By Saturday

As hard as the third and fourth tier players fought in last nights exhibition finale against the hapless Oakland Raiders, the truth of the matter is 22 perspective Seahawks will not have jobs by Saturday night. 

The position battles were fierce last night with a few standing out during the challenge.

The Defensive Line has been by far the most fierce battle amongst the positions.  While everyone, including myself, tout the obvious hard work and skill of Defensive End Nick Reed, his companion to the inside, Defensive Tackle Michael Bennett has also made a push to earn a roster spot.

Michael Bennett, brother of Dallas Cowboys Tight End Martellus Bennett, has also shown his prowess to get to the passer from the interior and be an effective run defender.  I like his physical nature and strong push up the middle of offensive lines.  His skills could be put to use immediately on passing downs with him and Cory Redding on the inside and DE’s Patrick Kerney and Lawrence Jackson or Darryl Tapp (perhaps even Reed) on the outside. 

What I like about Reed is his quickness off the ball.  He has two moves he uses consistently and expertly to get to the passer.  He uses a low center of gravity swim move underneath tackles utilizing his superior speed to get around the edge.  He also uses a bullrush to push back Offensive Tackles following up with a spin move inside.  Both equally effective and both mastered by the first-year player.

Reed’s intelligence on the field makes him look like a veteran.  That is a skill that no coach can teach, and is a rare talent that, when mixed with playing ability, leads to great players.  It would be a shame to see Reed let go as his upside is off the charts.

Keeping ten defensive linemen seems a stretch, so who is the unfortunate player that loses his job?  Colin Cole and Brandon Mebane are the obvious starters with Red Bryant and Craig Terrill backing them up.  Bryant has upside coming into his second year showing improved technique, while Terrill appears to have taken a step backwards. 

In camp, Terrill looked as though he had put on some weight, but not in the right places.  His stomach now balloons from his frame more than in previous seasons and it has not helped him get upfield.  For the preseason, Terrill has just two tackles, both in the Denver game.  It may be time for him to pursue his music career full-time.

The Wide Receiver race has everybody’s attention.  Last night was their night for a three-way battle royale. 

Ben Obomanu made the biggest leap yesterday with his two grabs for 58 yard and one touchdown as well as earning the coach’s praise for his work on the special teams unit.  In my eye, that puts him as the front-runner for that fifth receiver spot. 

From their it gets cloudy as its not positive whether the Seahawks will keep five or carry a sixth receiver.  If six is the magic number, Jordan Kent and Courtney Taylor pushed hard to make their presences felt.

Kent had proved he had potential on the Special Teams unit as a speedy gunner, which is an ideal trait for someone looking to be sixth on the receiver depth chart.  His receiver skills are still very raw though.  His route running seems to have improved, but two balls put right on his numbers last night fell out of his hands.

Taylor on the other hand has the better hands of the two and more natural receiver skills, and looks like he might have potential as a return man with a 26-yard kickoff return last night. 

Taylor has the edge, though ever so slightly.  Both also will be candidates to be brought back on the practice squad.

The kicker fiasco has been a mess the entire preseason as no true winner had yet emerged from the slippery turf of Arrowhead stadium.  That dreadful night of kicking is behind us and when its all said and done, Olindo Mare should get the nod.

Mare’s ability to kickoff into the endzone is crucial. 

The Seahawks have not looked good covering kicks this preseason whatsoever even with the new rules banning the four-man wedge.  Additionally he has proven to be an fairly effective field goal kicker for his career, which is extensive. 

Carrying two kickers is not an option and would cost someone like Nick Reed or Michael Bennett their roster spot, which would be an astounding disappointment.

The third Tight End spot has been in contention between Cameron Morrah and Joe Newton since the beginning of camp.  Morrah, the seventh-round draft pick out of California has flashed brilliance as a pass-catcher, but lacks in blocking situations. 

Joe Newton is not as fluid a receiver as Morrah, but his size (6’7″ 258 lbs.) has aided him in being a more powerful blocking Tight End, which in the end is likely his most valuable asset for a third TE.

Newton gets the spot in my book, but Morrah is another guy who will be worthy of making the practice squad as well.

The rest of the team seems pretty set at where they are.  The backup Linebackers have all played well and are valuable special teams guys so the only cut there should be Dave Phlistin, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

C.J. Wallace will make the team as the fourth option at Safety again as he is a great Special Teams player, with Courtney Greene maybe getting onto the practice squad. 

Should Marcus Trufant be put on the Physically Unable to Perform list, than the Seahawks will likely carry Marquis Floyd or Kevin Hobbs until he is available after week six.

The coaches have until the end of the day on Saturday to make these decisions and finalize who will be a member of the 2009 Seattle Seahawks. For 22 players it will mean training, improving their game and waiting for their next chance to get back on the field.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Seattle’s Nick Reed Proves You Can Judge a Book By How Well It Covers on Defense

The hardest day for 22 hopeful Seahawks players is just around the corner on Saturday when all 32 teams are required to trim their rosters to the league mandated 53-man roster for the beginning of the regular season.

Thursday’s preseason finale against the Oakland Raiders will prove to be the last chance for a handful of players to prove themselves deserving of a spot on the team.

One player, seventh-round draft pick defensive end Nick Reed, has used every opportunity afforded himself to prove his worth to Coach Mora and the rest of the Seahawks staff.

In his three preseason games, Reed’s official stats include seven tackles, three and-a-half sacks, one interception and a partially blocked punt. The rest of the team accounts for eight and-a-half sacks and four interceptions on the preseason. 

Reed is looking like a draft day steal at this point. He was an afterthought by most teams since he plays smaller than the desirable measurements most scouts look for at the DE position. The same was said when the Seahawks reached in the second round for Lofa Tatupu in 2005 and that seems to have worked out so far.

When you watch his tape, Reed’s smaller size is made up for in a big way by his quickness and absolute relentlessness to beat tackles off the edge with a great burst. He follows that with a good second move back inside or late burst. His awareness and ability to anticipate the snap has paved the way for his fantastic preseason play. 

Reed is the epitome of a smart football player. The interception he made against San Diego showed why. Reed was thwarted in his bullrush but followed and diagnosed the play moving to his side and cut off the check-down screen to be in perfect position for the pick.

While the Seahawks have a pretty crowded defensive line as it is, not making room on the roster for Reed would be a huge mistake. In a time when effective pass rushers come at a high premium, several other teams would gladly employ his services on their opening day roster, so forget about him clearing waivers and being designated to the practice squad. 

Assuming the Seahawks keep nine defensive linemen it would be safe to assume that Cory Redding, Patrick Kerney, Colin Cole, Brandon Mebane, Darryl Tapp, Lawrence Jackson, Red Bryant, and Craig Terrill, that leaves just one spot for Reed to slide into the depth chart. 

Michael Bennett has made a strong case for himself as well, but Reed appears to be a more valuable special teams player than Bennett. Bennett could still make the team should the Seahawks choose to keep 10 defensive lineman and make a sacrifice in depth somewhere else, like linebacker for example. Additionally, Bennett is more likely to clear waivers than Reed making him available to join the Seahawks practice squad.

Reed has made an impact this preseason on the coaching staff as well as the fans. Not seeing him on the 53-man roster would be a disappointment since he has proven he has the ability and intelligence to play in this league and be effective. 

Edgerrin James’ Signing and T.J. Duckett’s Release: What to Expect

Upon hearing the news of Edgerrin James’ signing with the Seattle Seahawks, my first thought was, “Who is going to be cut?”

It took a mere four hours of radio speculation and Internet reports to realize that T.J. Duckett was the unfortunate roster cut to make room for the aforementioned James, despite Seattle officials dodging the subject. 

Coach Jim Mora Jr. saw something on Saturday he obviously did not like in the run game. With Julius Jones out—not that anyone was fully confident in his abilities—the Seahawks’ run game managed feeble numbers on the ground. 

Duckett has struggled with the transition to the zone-blocking scheme and it showed in his performance on Saturday night.

In his six first-half carries, Duckett managed 17 yards with a long of eight, meaning his five other carries totaled just nine yards (1.8 yards per carry).

Should last year’s numbers mean anything for the big, bruising back?  His eight touchdowns on goal line situations meant little in a lost season except hope for the ’09 campaign.

Looking at Duckett’s numbers for 2008, it is obvious his role was defined.

In all but one game—week three against a dismal Rams team during which he recorded two TDs and 79 yards—he had less than eight carries a game, scoring an additional six touchdowns.

His ability to crash the line for that one yard into the endzone was vital to a hapless offense last year. 

It was reported and reassured by the coaching staff that the running game in Seattle was intact and expected to produce in a new, run-first scheme under offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

But perhaps expectations are leading to worry for a coach beginning his second chance leading an NFL team.

Enter the Mora era. This is a young coach hungry for wins, titles, and championships.  Mora is showing he is willing to let go of veteran players who are not falling into his new offensive ideology.

Former Seahawks’ coach Mike Holmgren was different in this regard. 

Holmgren, who seduced an aging John Randle from retiring (as well as Levon Kirkland) in his early years as the ‘Hawks head coach, put precedent on veteran players and the intangibles they offered a team. Experience does not always mean it’s what is best for the team. 

Mora saw a problem and addressed it. Enter James.

Here is a player whose output we saw decline consistently over the first half of last season and who eventually lost his starting job to rookie fifth-round draft pick Tim Hightower. 

So why bring in a player who seems reminiscent of the last year’s of Shaun Alexander? Why not bring in another player on the market such as Warrick Dunn? These are valid questions with valid answers.

Unlike Alexander, James played healthy last year, even with an offensive line that gave him few opportunities to break plays. 

Additionally, age is always a concern, even though Marcus Allen played productively until he retired at 37. Dunn is 34, James is 31.

Finally, James is comfortable in the zone-blocking scheme, as he played in it for seven years with the Indianapolis Colts.

The fit is right, assuming that there is some fight left in Edge’s tank.

James will assume a secondary role to Julius Jones at this point and will likely take the majority of those third-down snaps that Duckett had been expected to take in the upcoming season.

For now, the excitement and concern for the Seahawks’ running game will continue to run high. 

Seahawks, DE Reed Impress In Home Preseason Debut

With 67,000+ in attendance, the Seahawks mounted an impressive air attack for the home crowd when most were expecting to see a run first Greg Knapp offense.  In their first drive, six of eight plays were passes, with four of those snaps coming from shotgun formation, including the 34-yard strike to Deon Butler over blanketed coverage. 

The rookie Butler impressed while running with the first team, and looks to be that burner on the edge the Seahawks have been waiting for. It looks like he can push Josh Wilson for kick return duties. The blocking scheme deserves an extended look by the coaching staff though, as two of four kickoffs started inside the 20-yard line when blockers missed assignments. 

T.J. Houshmandzadeh still looks like the Pro Bowl player he was in his impressive career with the Cincinnati Bengals.  His size and ability to fight for the ball were a necessary addition to the Seahawks receiving corps. On the two-yard fade route to the left corner of the end zone at the end of the second quarter, Hasselbeck sent Houshmandzadeh in motion to his left and snapped while in motion as he darted for the corner.  The Broncos knew the play was coming and had decent man coverage on him, but Houshmandzadeh, as he has demonstrated in his eight-year career, has the edge in that situation. 

The running game struggled when the first team was on the field.  T.J. Duckett and Justin Forsett carried the load for the first team offense and managed a meager 2.8 and 2.6 yards-per-carry average against what was arguably the most porous rush defense in the league last year.  With Julius Jones striving to be a feature back, he has every opportunity to secure that position when he returns to the lineup if he can fight for the extra yards. 

The defense looked fairly good out there, but the pass defense had some issues.  They appeared to play a lot more conservatively in this game as opposed to the blitz-happy packages we saw in last week’s game against the San Diego Chargers.  The biggest hole in the defense appeared in defending the check down and screen passes.  This happened frequently last year in the regular season, and last night’s game didn’t reassure in any way. The same situations arose, third down pass rush situations where the rush is a little late and the screen is open with three blockers running free with the play going for at least ten yards. 

Two players stood out to me defensively, one being D.D. Lewis.  It’s reassuring to know there is a capable reserve outside linebacker should Hill or Curry miss any substantial time. The second, and most pleasant surprise, is the continued impressive gameday heroics of rookie seventh-round draft choice defensive end Nick Reed.  How do you follow up a one sack, one interception game?  Reed posted 1.5 sacks, four total tackles and got a hand on a punt that netted 15 yards to give the Seahawks the ball at the Denver 29 that set up a Seneca Wallace touchdown toss to Joe Newton. 

All things considered, the Seahawks put together a fairly impressive outing on both sides of the ball including two long scoring drives in the first half by the first-string offense.  The defense appears to be built for a violent pass rush, so when put into simpler cover 2 schemes and rushing just the front four, they can be vulnerable to the pass. 

Notes from Seattle Seahawks Monday Afternoon Practice: LB Aaron Curry in Pads

On a rainy summer Monday afternoon, the Seahawks hit the practice field again after a canceled Sunday evening session. This was a two-hour stint that was, in all senses of the word, dominated by the defense and Aaron Curry’s first full-pad session.

Here’s a few observations from the day’s practice.

Justin Forsett looked great catching passes out of the backfield. During one drill, he split wide in motion and made a great grab on an overthrown ball deep down the left sideline for a 30-yard completion that would easily go the distance in a game situation. His quickness and ability to produce a late burst was impressive.

Julius Jones looks hungry. He certainly has something to prove this year. Last year, Jones started the season looking like he was going to be 1,200-yard back, but for one reason or another, he fell out of favor with Mike Holmgren.

New staff, new story. Jones looks like he is meant for this zone-blocking, one-cut scheme set forth by Gregg Knapp. He did lose the ball on the first handoff he took, but it looked more like a mistake by the quarterback, not him.

T.J. Duckett is a beast, enough said. Big, huge really, and strong and should see a lot of goal line reps and will probably produce quite a few points as a result.

The fullback position looks unresolved, or could even be a committee situation. Owen Schmitt looks rusty and was blown up a few times in pass rush drills. Justin Griffith was better, but has cement blocks for hands, dropping two passes in a row in passing drills.

The receivers on the fringe got extra reps today. T.J. Houshmandzadeh only participated in the positional drills, then reappeared on the field sans pads for the rest of the afternoon. 

Nate Burleson and Deion Branch took the first team reps, then it was up for grabs.

Jordan Kent made a great grab in coverage and turned on the jets. He has all the physical talents to be great. His speed is off the charts and his size will help him if he learns to use it correctly. 

Tight end John Carlson looks better and better. In one-on-one pass rush drills, he successfully blocked out D.D. Lewis and in 11-on-11 drills he made a fantastic catch in coverage.  Carlson should have an even better sophomore year.

After Carlson, the other two roster spots are up for grabs. 

Cameron Morrah, the rookie seventh-rounder out of Cal looked quite good catching the ball.

The offensive line struggled immensely today. In fact they looked downright awful.  Walter Jones sat out again as did Chris Spencer, so the team was missing two of the anchors of the usual starting lineup. 

Hope today was just a bad day for them and a great day for the defense. If they block the way they did today, Matt Hasselbeck will be carted off in a casket. 

On the brighter side, the real star of the day, the defense, was absolutely lights-out the whole session.

The linebackers were an awesome force of disruption on the field. In one-on-one pass-rush drills, both Aaron Curry and Leroy Hill blew up every would-be blocker. Send both of them on a blitz and you will see some rattled quarterbacks. 

Curry’s speed off the edge looks too good to be true. I know he ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the combine, but his game speed is every bit as fast. That speed should allow him to push QBs out of the pocket or into his massive frame. 

Lofa Tatupu sat out 11-on-11s, and it looked as though the wet conditions made head coach Jim Mora cautious with his stars after the recent controversy involving the Browns’ Eric Mangini and his practice ethic. 

Also sitting out full-team drills was Patrick Kerney, but he looks completely rehabilitated, in fact even bigger than he was last year. 

The defensive line showed they are a more physical, bigger, and more dominant group than last year. The combination of Colin Cole and Brandon Mebane at the defensive tackle position was disruptive. 

They filled the gaps repeatedly forcing runners outside. Cole looks like a steal in free agency, and should live up to his expectations to be a double-teamed nose tackle freeing up the three-headed beast of linebackers to diagnose and attack plays. 

The defense really proved to be the star of the day when the full-speed 11-on-11 team drills began.

With the first-team players going against each other the first four plays resulted in this order: Hasselbeck pressured and throwing an interception to Josh Wilson downfield, Kelly Jennings on a corner blitz untouched for a would-be sack (Hasselbeck saved by his red jersey of course), front four blast the line, collapse the pocket for a would-be sack, and finally Leroy Hill on an edge rush for another would be sack. 

One pick and three sacks in four plays.

This defense is living up to every bit of the hype of being fast, physical, and aggressive.

Top 10 Again: What the Seahawks Should Do with the Broncos’ Pick, Pt. 2

As I wrote about a week ago in the first part of this article, I tried to make the case for the Seahawks possibly picking Tim Tebow in the first round with the Broncos pick the Seahawks obtained in a draft day trade. 

Not surprisingly, some people find it ridiculous to look at next year’s draft before this season has even started.  Well guess what.  The preseason isn’t for more than a month and it’s never too early to talk about anything when it comes to football. 

So here continues the way-to-early look ahead at the 2010 draft possibilities, and, by popular demand, lets make a case for Taylor Mays, the Safety out of USC.

The first glimpse of this guy screams freak.  He is 6’3″ and 230 lbs.  A huge safety who is a tenacious tackler with a mean streak to boot in the mold of NFL superstars Troy Polamalu, Bob Sanders, and the late Sean Taylor.  He is larger than all the aforementioned players, but doesn’t lack speed.  He is a ball hawk and swarms to the play and is effective in run support as well as having good cover skills with size to match up well with larger receivers. 

Watching film of him you can see that he often diagnoses the play as it’s happening.  His ability to either crash the line on run support or drop into coverage quickly is an asset the Seahawks have been lacking in their secondary as of late.  In run support he is rarely misguided by jukes as he has no hesitation to run through the  ball carrier.  In pass coverage he shows the ability to jump routes and effectively get to the play to provide double coverage when needed.   

You can see that the kid loves to knock people out, but he doesn’t wrap up as well as you would like, relying heavily on his ability to put his shoulder down and plow through his opponents.  His knack for hard hitting could put him in trouble with the league with all the new player safety rules (his highlight reels feature a lot of helmet to helmet contact, see video posted at end of the article).  Nonetheless, not wrapping up has not hurt his prowess as an open-field tackling machine.  I’m sure there’s a few Cal receivers in particular who are having nightmares about Mays to this day.

If he focuses on his technique at the next level, which he would get great coaching from a coach like Mora, he will be another superstar safety.  He has all the tools and physical gifts to be considered perhaps the best defensive player in the 2010 draft.

Mays is a smart player who could be an immediate difference maker.  He could be next year’s Aaron Curry, as the best player in the draft, but not necessarily a need for teams picking at the top.  He’s a Seattle product, having played his high school ball at O’Dea (same school as Nate Burleson), and would fit in nicely with the new, fast-paced defense the Seahawks are installing.

As many have noticed, Seahawk Nation has voiced its opinion about this guy.  If the Seahawks are lucky enough to be in position to make a move for him, Mays would be hard to pass by.

Sure, it’s a hell of a hit, but let’s face it, when it comes down to it he got flagged and gave the team 15 yards and a fresh set of downs.

Top 10 Again: What the Seahawks Should Do with the Broncos’ Pick

As all Seahawks fans know, the Seattle team picked up a second, first-round draft pick from the Broncos on what could be considered the most confusing offseason by the Broncos in recent history.

Denver’s new head coach, Josh McDaniels, had given up on their young, talented quarterback by disenfranchising him on a play for Matt Cassel, who has one year as a starter of a team with great depth and Pro Bowlers across the field as well as a multiple Super Bowl winning coach calling his plays.

Add to that Brandon Marshall’s request for a trade on a contract dispute amongst his personal reasons and the Broncos’ refusal to trade him (holdout impending).  Lastly, they recently named their starting quarterback for 2009 as—drum roll please—KYLE ORTON!

I could be totally wrong and Orton could have a breakout season.  I also heard that pigs are growing wings in preparation for this event.  This is a Broncos team full of problems that stem from an utter lack of cohesiveness brought in by their new head coach.

Enough about the Broncos, long story short, the Seahawks are salivating at the possibility the Broncos tank this season and Seattle finds themselves again drafting at the top of day one.  With a few issues in their personnel and with two first-rounders, the Seahawks can fill holes with immediate impact players.

How about the quarterback of the future?  The first round is a good place to find one, add to that Hasselbeck’s injury prone body and age, it’s clear it’s time for Mora to find the quarterback he wants to groom.

Some have Tim Tebow ranked as high as the second best quarterback in the 2010 draft class.  His highlights are impressive, but let’s see how he performs from tape in one game.

What better game to evaluate his ability than in the 2008 SEC Conference Championship between the No. 1 and undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 2 and 11-1 Florida Gators.

After a full half of play, it is obvious the differences between collegiate and pro play.  I thought that the ideology that “spread offense” quarterbacks didn’t translate to pro play was an insult to the athleticism of players everywhere. 

Tebow shows great athleticism and toughness and is an elusive, bruising runner, but what about his arm and his smarts? 

Alabama’s defense proved disruptive in this game and forced Tebow to make many errant throws.  In the second quarter, he was just 5-of-10 throwing the ball for 82 yards with 56 of those coming from a single play.  When watching Tebow’s eyes, he appears to focus on his No. 1 option heavily, often forcing the ball into coverage.

Tebow’s release is quick and he throws the ball hard, but his vision lags a bit at times.  As the game progressed, he began to look more at his second and third options and really hit his stride in the second half making a handful of phenomenal throws including lofting a ball over double coverage and into the extended arms of his receiver, placing the ball where only he could make the catch. 

Why would the Seahawks consider Tebow?  Look at Mora’s other starting quarterback from the past, Michael Vick.  Tebow has similar qualities but is more bruising than elusive with good, not great, throwing ability. 

Consider Tebow’s upside though.  With a year or a few as understudy to a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback like Matt Hasselbeck, he could learn how to take the next step from spread offense, option oriented quarterback to a pocket passer that will always be a threat to break a huge gain with his legs.

The tools are there, but he has consistently been an option quarterback in a spread offense.  The examples are all there as to why it is so desirable to find college quarterbacks that ran pro-style offenses (see Akili Smith or Andre Ware).  The option is not fooling anyone in the NFL, so his status will rely heavily on personal performance next season and especially on his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. 

Tebow is a first-round talent and will slip a little due to the nature of the quarterback class coming out next year (Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy looking to be the first two quarterbacks off the board in 2010) looking ripe for the picking in the likelihood the Seahawks have netted another top 10 draft pick.

What to Expect from the Seahawks’ New Look Offense

As the Seahawks finish up their last mandatory mini-camp practice today, the long, dark month until training camp leaves plenty of time to speculate on what to expect in the coming year. 

With the Seahawks in particular, there is plenty to speculate about after the exit of 10 year Head Coach Mike Holmgren and the entrance of new Head Coach Jim L. Mora. 

Holmgren is well known in Seattle for bringing his offensive-minded West Coast style of play to the Pacific Northwest. That style lit up the scoreboard, his team winning five division titles (one AFC West and four consecutive NFC West titles) and six playoff appearances, including the Conference Championship in 2005. Lofty expectations to live up to for sure.

Enter Jim Mora in his third year with the team and first as Head Coach. Widely known as a defensively minded coach, he has brought with him his former Offensive Coordinator from his Atlanta Falcons days, Gregg Knapp.

Knapp is a disciple of the West Coast Offense, and had his most successful years as an OC while with the San Francisco 49ers from 2001-2003, and again in 2004 with Jim Mora and the Atlanta Falcons. 

In that four year span, Knapp’s teams made the playoffs three times, including the Falcons’ run to the NFC Championship game in 2004. However, his recent stint as OC of the Oakland Raiders should be concerning. 

The Seahawks bring back Julius Jones and TJ Duckett as the primary ball carriers for the 2009 squad. Julius Jones has plenty of critics out there, and most think this was a terrible signing by the Seahawks last offseason, but take a closer look at his numbers and some of the situations. 

After three weeks of the 2008 season, the Seahawks ranked in the top 10 in rushing behind stellar performances by Jones against the 49ers (26 att, 127 yds) and the Rams (22 att, 140 yds). 

Sure, it was against the 49ers and the Rams, but it showed he has potential. 

Jones’ subsequent weeks showcased him in less than stellar performances, and he was taken off the field more and more in favor of spell back Maurice Morris. Jones eventually lost the starting job to him, and had 12 carries per a game twice after the bye week in Week Four. 

It’s still unclear why Jones fell out of favor with Holmgren, but it was obvious that he had. Nonetheless, Jones returned to camp looking as strong as ever, and should fit nicely into the zone blocking scheme set by Knapp. This scheme features Jones as primarily a one-cut downhill runner with Duckett suited perfectly for short yardage and goal line running. 

The third spot on the depth chart is still a mystery, but will likely go to 2nd year back Justin Forsett who has Special Teams advantages and could serve well as a change of pace back. 

All signs point to the Seahawks relying on a run first policy, single back formations. 

The two most widely cited in relation to Knapp are two Reciever, two tight end sets and three Reciever, one tight end sets. In a theoretical scenario, imagine a three reciever, one tight end set. 

While none of the Seattle recievers strike fear into opposing cornerbacks, they are good enough to command putting a nickel defender in the game and committing your SAM to shadow Carlson, since he is a huge threat at tight end. 

That commits four defenders outside with one safety and six in the box. If this offensive line can play up to the lofty expectations of this run first offense (which they are better on paper than the Oakland Raiders starting five), 4.3 yards a carry is not an unattainable goal. 

The running game (despite supposed personnel deficiency) should not be the focus of worry in the coming season for Seahawks fans; it’s the passing game. 

Last year as OC of the Raiders, Knapp’s offense ranked last, passing for a mere 148 yards per game and allowing JaMarcus Russell to be sacked 39 times during the season. 

Russell is still a young player, and that was his first full season as a starter. So much of that can be attributed to his lack of experience and the steep learning curve of becoming an NFL quarterback. 

The truth is, the Seahawks didn’t fare much better in the passing game last year either, putting up only 163 yards a game and allowing quarterbacks to be sacked 36 times.  Health was obviously the biggest factor last year with a revolving door of receivers (who ever thought Koren Robinson would sport a Seahawks Jersey ever again?). 

Matt Hasselbeck, if he can stay healthy, should improve those numbers dramatically, that is, if he can attain the protection he needs from his line and a blocking back (truth is, any back should be a more capable blocker than Shaun Alexander ever was). 

The passing game involving the two sets that Knapp is said to be relying heavily on this season in the playbook provides good leverage for Hasselbeck to make plays all over the field. 

New receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh has proven to be a threat in the middle for his entire career, runs clean routes, will fight for the ball, and offers a bigger target than Bobby Engram. 

If Nate Burleson returns to health, he should see extended looks as Hasselbeck’s number one option, using his size and speed to make plays on the outside. Behind that, it will be hard to figure if Branch or Rookie Deon Butler (or Taylor, Obomanu or Kent) figure into the three receiver sets. 

Additionally, John Carlson, the team’s leading receiver in 2008, should become even better in his second year, and command more attention from opposing defenses. Add in a check down option at running back and the possibilities seem endless. 

The passing game will continue to be the biggest question mark as Knapp has remained fairly tight lipped about his intentions.

Training camp begins at the end of July, and with practices opening to the public, a more realistic grasp on the Knapp passing game should emerge, but for the next month, the speculation still runs high for myself and all Seahawks fans alike.

*stats courtesy of NFL.com

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010