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Larry Johnson Not Signing With the Seattle Seahawks

Published: November 10, 2009

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The deadline to claim running back Larry Johnson off waivers from Kansas City is now passed and any one of the 32 NFL teams can now make their push if the may to sign the former star running back.

However, the Seattle Seahawks will not be that team.

Some “sources” have said Seattle might be interested in signing Johnson, but there has been no truth or confirmed reports that the Seahawks have even picked up the phone to call Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer.

Before Seahawks fans get too trigger-happy about the “win” over the Detroit Lions this past Sunday, let’s not go from one bad Ruskell move to another.

Larry Johnson is in the same situation as Allan Iverson was this offseason. Only one team is interested in him (so far), but his career is almost over as a featured back.

Now the Pittsburgh Steelers might the one good fit because they don’t need a feature back, like Seattle.

Let’s take a closer look at why it makes zero sense for the Seahawks would sign Larry Johnson.

1) Right now Larry Johnson’s YPR (yards per rush) is the fourth lowest in the last 30 years. Johnson’s YPR is 2.71 and he’s not far behind the other three before him. Seattle already has a low 3.5 YPR so why would it be a good move to bring in someone who is even worse that that?

2) Larry Johnson is 29-years-old, the Seahawks just released 31-year-old Edgerrin James last week in favor of Lewis Rankin, a player who they acquired off the practice squad from the Oakland Raiders. You can’t get much worse if you are looking for help from the Raiders, except Rankin, who is a Northwest guy from UW. Plus the Seahawks are going with youth and Larry Johnson isn’t youth.

3) Aside from the Seattle media blowing up TJ Houshmandzadeh’s comments, which were taken way out of line, the Seahawks still pride themselves on character and why was Johnson cut from KC? Other than making offensive slurs about his own head coach, and the front office being worried about him affecting their locker room. That’s why he was cut. So why would the Seahawks take an old, character problem? They wouldn’t.

The Seattle Seahawks are a passing team, as they showed against the Detroit Lions throwing 51 times and completing 39.

Right now the Seahawks, who are lucky they play in the NFC West, are only two games back of the Arizona Cardinals for first place in the West. They are really looking to rebuild after this season is over.

Matt Hasselbeck is 34, Walter Jones is 35, Damian McIntosh is 32, Patrick Kerney is 32, and Lawyer Milloy is 35. All but maybe a hand full of your Super Bowl team is gone.

If the Seahawks sign Johnson, he would become the eighth player to either be 30 or be pushing it very close. Plus with Johnson’s steep decline I don’t see it working out. It didn’t with Edgerrin James, why would it with Larry Johnson? It wouldn’t.

So the Seattle Seahawks won’t be adding Larry Johnson anytime in this world.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson

http://www.nfltouchdown.com/larry-johnson-not-signing-with-the-seahawks/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Mora and Seahawks’ All Need To Be On Notice As Season Plays Out

Published: November 3, 2009

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In his usual Monday morning press conference, Seahawks head coach Jim Mora Jr. had a few things to say about his team, hoping to either find what he’s looking for or to light a fire under this team.

Mora’s quote was, “We are going to find out who the strong people are, and they are going to be here fighting with us until the end.”

He would go on to say…

“And we’re going to find out who the victims are, and they aren’t going to with us fighting to the end”.

So to put that in perspective, as the season plays out, all 53 players on the Seahawks roster are going to have to play for their futures after this season.

The ones who fight day in and day out will stay no matter what. The players who shoot their mouth off and don’t fight every game definitely won’t be back after the season.

Walter Jones and Lofa Tatupu, I assume are not involved with this new regime and don’t have to worry about their job futures knowing they are both on IR.

Now I didn’t hear Mora mention the coaching staff or himself as “on notice,” which I really think is unfair.

If players don’t want to play for a coach or don’t want to fight for a coach, then I don’t see why that coach deserves to remain at his post.

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, brought in by Jim Mora Jr., hurt the Seattle Seahawks offense even before they played a snap of the 2009 season.

What do I mean by that exactly?

The Seahawks offense, led by Matt Hasselbeck, has always been a pass first offense and a pass heavy offense.

What is Greg Knapp’s offensive style?

Run first and often.

It never was suppose to fit in with the Seattle Seahawks “passing offense”. However, thanks to Jim Mora Jr. wanting to hook up with one of his old buddies from Atlanta, which I’m getting very tired of, he decided to bring in Knapp as the offensive coordinator.

If someone were to hand me a list of possible offensive coordinators this past offseason, and then hand me a list of all the players on the Seahawks offense, there is no way in heck I would have even looked at a run-first coach to be an offensive coordinator for the Seahawks.

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has always thrived and been at his elite form when the Seahawks are in a pass first offense or a pass heavy offense like they were in 2007 under Mike Holmgren.

In 2007, Hasselbeck threw for almost 4,000 yards (finished with 3,966) and 28 touchdown passes.

Hasselbeck didn’t have the world’s greatest offensive line. He was sacked 33 times and finished third in attempts for rushing with 39 attempts.

So it shows, if you have the right coaching staff in place, and stay committed to it you can go a long ways.

So getting back to the original point with Greg Knapp and the rest of the coaching staff.

It’s right for Jim Mora to put his team on notice and tell them that they have to play for their future jobs, at least in Seattle.

What I don’t think is right is not putting any blame on the coaching staff for failure to launch.

Mora’s defense has also been taking a turn for the worst in the past few weeks, so not only is the blame on the players and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, Jim Mora Jr. also needs to be playing for his future in Seattle.

With the rumors circulating about Mike Holmgren returning to the Seahawks as the EVP and GM after the season is over, you can bet if Jim Mora Jr. doesn’t get this team fighting for him and everyone else, Mora won’t be holding a job title in the Seahawks coaching staff.

So my message to Mora and the rest of the coaching staff is this:

You first have to play to your strength on both sides of the football. On offense, being into four and five WR sets and throwing the ball around to all your big money receivers. On defense, it’s either blitz heavy or just blitz four and put everyone else back in pass protection.

Then if the team is still not winning or at least putting up a fight then you can put your players on notice.

A man who blames others and puts others on notice before himself never deserves to be leading anything.

The head coach takes responsibility but continues to strive to his team that they also need to keep putting the foot on the gas as well.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson:

http://www.nfltouchdown.com/mora-and-seahawks-all-need-to-be-on-notice-as-season-plays-out/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Seattle Seahawks in Need of a Teel Change on Offense?

Published: November 1, 2009

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Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace have both been under center this season for the Seattle Seahawks.

Hasselbeck, the pure starting quarterback has played in four games (three complete games) after battling a fractured rib for two weeks.

Sen-I-cat (Seneca Wallace) has been the second string quarterback for the Seahawks before I even became a fan of the Seahawks (and it’s a while back I don’t remember when I did).

Wallace filled in for the injured Hasselbeck for two games. At home vs. Chicago and at Indy.

Both games the Seahawks lost. That, however, was not the worst part.

In the two games the Seahawks were without Matt Hasselbeck they showed no heart, passion, emphasis or even the slightest bit of fight.

The Seahawks wound up losing 25-19 to Chicago and 34-17 (34-3 before the fourth quarter) to Indy.

In the two and a half games Wallace filled in for Hasselbeck he threw three touchdowns, two interceptions and 645 yards passing.

In the three and a half games Matt Hasselbeck played in he’s thrown for seven touchdowns, three interceptions and 729 yards passing.

The majority of Hasselbeck’s stats came from two games. Week one against St Louis and week five against Jacksonville.

Here is Matt’s line from both games.

St. Louis:

Completions	Attempts	Yards	Completion%	TD	INT
25	36	279	69.00%	3	2

Jacksonville:

Completions	Attempts	Yards	Completion%	TD	INT
18	30	241	60%	4	0

Those are the two games in which Matt has all seven touchdowns, 2/3’s of his interceptions and 520 of his 729 yards that he’s thrown for.

Matt’s other two games against San Francisco and Arizona he’s done horrendous against.

Here are the lines against Arizona and San Francisco. Note: Matt only played half of the 49ers game.

San Francisco:

Completions	Attempts	Yards	Completion%	TD	INT
10	18	97	55%	0	0

Arizona:

Completions	Attempts	Yards	Completion%	TD	INT
10	29	112	34%	0	1

That would be 20/47 for 209 yards and one INT in two games. Compare that to the 43/66 for 520 yards, seven TD’s and two INT’s.

For Matt Hassebeck it’s been the tail of two games.

Now in fairness the offensive line has been worse than a Erik Bedard in Seattle the last two years.

This week the Seahawks put LT Walter Jones on IR ending his season and preparing him for next season.

The only player to start the season and not miss a game is rookie RG Max Unger.

So what does it all mean?

Well the Seahawks shut down LT Walter Jones because his knee wasn’t feeling in this season and head coach Jim Mora Jr. said they want him ready for next season and don’t want to risk anything going farther down the well than it already has.

Lofa Tatupu was thought to be out for only a few weeks after the Seahawks looked at him on Monday but three days later he was officially out for the season after having surgery on his pectoral muscle.

Hasselbeck, who turned 34 a couple months back, is currently in his 11th season in the NFL. Over the last three years Matt Hasselbeck has seen more medical personal then he has NFL players, never a good thing.

The Seahawks have to be thinking about Hasselbeck’s future with the Seahawks as well as his own career.

If Jim Mora and the Seahawks front office believe that still can be the future of the Seahawks then I do believe that it would be smart to have his season shut down, get him completely healthy as well as the offensive line and the entire team.

Then put it all together in 2010.

They want to protect Walter Jones and Lofa Tatupu’s futures why not protect Matt more than he will be protected if he continues to play?

If the Seahawks shut down Matt Hasselbeck, or if he gets nailed by DeMarcus Ware tomorrow and suffers another injury it would be better than having him try to fight with rookie offensive linemen.

Now if the Seahawks do shut down Hasselbeck for the season, which has not come up yet but the fact that Hasselbeck risking another injury just isn’t worth it this season with the Seahawks already out of the NFC West picture.

Who becomes the starting quarterback for the rest of the season?

Well Seneca Wallace has had his entire career to take the starting job from Matt Hasselbeck and he’s failed to do so and the way he played this season he won’t even get a look anymore.

That leaves rookie quarterback Mike Teel as the man of the hour.

Here is the other side of the coin for the Seahawks front office and coaching staff. If you don’t think that Matt Hasselbeck is the future of the Seahawks and you do have confidence that Teel could possibly be that guy to lead the troop in the future then this is the perfect shot.

The Seahawks have nothing to fight for this season with the team already falling apart and TJ Houshmandzadeh already saying he wishes he was in Minnesota.

Let’s examine the I-Teel (ideal) picture for Mike Teel’s possible opportunity and why it makes sense for the Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck and Mike Teel.

1) You can open the playbook with Mike Teel and throw it to anyone and everyone on the offense.

2) Teel knows how to lead a team with this style of shot gun offense. He led Rutgers to three straight bowl appearances and shattered every major passing record at Rutgers.

3) As Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano put it “He’s a winner” and if the Seahawks think he can make this team a winner in the future then it’s a great move.

4) Experience is key in the NFL and shutting down Hasselbeck, giving the ropes to Teel will help him in the future no matter what so it’s key that Teel get experience now as a rookie.

5) You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Both for the Seahawks and Teel. The Seahawks are 2-4 and with games against Detroit, Arizona, St Louis, San Francisco, Minnesota, Houston, Tampa, Tennessee and Green Bay to finish out the season the Seahawks could turn it around, even with a rookie QB.

6) Mike Teel and the Seahawks would work great under a “pass heavy” offense which Greg Knapp seems to hate. However the passing game is the Seahawks strong point and with great weapons the Seahawks and Jim Mora need to slap some sense into OC Greg Knapp.

7) Seattle has the weapons on offense with TJ Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch, Deon Butler and TE John Carlson. If the Seahawks go to a shot gun four and five WR threat the offense will become much more open and productive.

8) Even if Teel does not see starting time this season most of the points here still go. Mora, Knapp and the Seahawks offense have to do what they do best. Four WR sets and a pass heavy offense, much like Mike Holmgren did in 2007 when the Seahawks had no body in the backfield.

So after the Seahawks-Cowboys game tomorrow it might have to come to Mora and the coaching staff to save Hasselbeck’s long term future and start Mike Teel.

NOTE: I will be writing another article after the game tomorrow about what needs to change play calling and coaching wise this season.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson:

http://www.nfltouchdown.com/seahawks-in-need-of-a-teel-change-on-offense/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

What Has the NFL Turned Into the Past Few Years?

Published: October 30, 2009

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The media icon that is the NFL, seems to go from a league with players playing to win and get to the Super Bowl, to a league that’s been loaded with player conduct problems, divas, and players just in it for the money.

On August.8, 2006, Roger Goodell was selected to succeed retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue, voted on by 31 NFL GMs (Oakland abstained from all voting).

Goodell officially became the acting commissioner on September 1st.

From the moment Goodell was named the commissioner, he has been severely cracking down on off and on the field player conduct/behavior.

In mid-2007, the off-field actions of NFL players Adam “Pacman” Jones and Chris Henry had become a major problem not only for their respective teams, but for the league and its commissioner.

Right before the start of the 2006 season, Goodell and the NFLPA came to an agreement on “conduct policy” which would “help control off-field behavior by its players and preserve the league’s public image.”

Following the new conduct policy, cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and WR Chris Henry became the first two players to be suspended.

Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season and Henry was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season.

Players to join Adam Jones (who was punished twice) and Chris Henry on the list were: DT “Tank” Johnson (10 games), QB Michael Vick (first four games of 2009), and the latest being WR Donte Stallworth (entire 2009 season).

So coming from a league with Paul Tagliabue that never seemed to be in the mainstream media for player conduct problems, the NFL has now turned into Roger Goodell’s zoo, where the majority want to play, but 10 to 20 percent of players would be considered divas/attention-seekers or just in it for the money.

This offseason, former Broncos quarterback Jay Cuter acted as if his parents took away his X-Box or his favorite toy when the Broncos fired head coach Mike Shanahan and replaced him with former Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

When McDaniels became the head coach, he became one of the youngest in NFL history.

Well, the saga between Cutler and McDaniels began and Cutler would always use the phrase “I’ve been betrayed” and no matter what would come out of his mouth it would always start with “I’ve” or “me.”

So Josh McDaniels decided to make a controversial move by trading the disgruntled QB to the Chicago Bears for backup QB Kyle Orton and three picks (two first-round picks, 2009 and 2010).

Cutler is now 3-3 in Chicago and Kyle Orton is 6-0 in Denver. At least Brandon Marshall learned from his suspension by McDaniels and now is back to playing his best football.

Speaking of quarterback antics-though this time it’s not even close to the ones pulled by Cutler—the legend under center, Brett Favre , was going back and forth deciding whether he wanted to or did not want to play this season.

He finally made up his mind and signed with the Minnesota Vikings right after training camp, which is just what Favre wanted.

The great thing about Favre is that he didn’t come back for the money; everyone knows that and he’s proved that this season.

Favre came back because he loves the game of football and he’ll play as long as he wants to or until someone straps him down and won’t let him play any longer.

If there is a team out there that Favre likes and that needs a QB, he’ll sign.

Two talented quarterbacks, one offseason. One made the right move because he represents what the NFL should be and for the majority is; and that’s a team player. The other represents a cry baby who was dropped as a kid and now he has to wish he was back in Denver.

So far I’ve talked about divas/cry babies and the legend himself, Brett Favre, who is neither a diva nor a cry baby.

Now, we have to look at another problem that’s not just in the NFL, but all sports and that is the idiotic nature of players using Twitter.

In the past week, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been in hot water over a few of his “tweets.”

Johnson used his Twitter account to lash out at his first-year head coach, Todd Haley, and to make a homophobic slur.

“My father got more credentials than most of these pro coaches…google my father!!!!!!!”

“My father played for the coach from ‘Remember The Titans.’ Our coach played golf. My father played for the Redskins briefly. Our coach. Nuthn”

I would expect commissioner Roger Goodell to suspended and/or fine the former star running back.

I always wonder what’s going through the heads of those selected players when they decide to spill their guts on Twitter.

Some players, like Matt Hasselbeck, Alex Rios, Ron Artest, Shaq, and many others use Twitter in the way it’s supposed to be used—sharing a side of their life that fans don’t get to see on the field or court.

However, there have been a growing number of players that are using Twitter without the thought of consequence or they do it because they know they will get caught, but they don’t care nor respect what the consequences could be.

Washington Redskins “nobody” Robert Henson is famous for being the biggest Twitter idiot to walk God’s green earth.

After the Redskins’ horrendous performance against the St. Louis Rams, the linebacker decided to speak his mind to the “wonderful” ‘Skins fans after the game.

“All you fake half hearted Skins fan can…I won’t go there, but I dislike you very strongly, don’t come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!”

Well, the only part that caught the media headlines was “dim wits.”

Now, not only was this a boneheaded move, but for the first two games—most notably the one against St. Louis—Henson was inactive.

The first tweet was uncalled for, but the one after that “dim wits” tweet is really what set many people off.

Henson also tweeted: “The question is who are you to say you know what’s best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at McDonalds.”

Really?

The only thing down about this is that ESPN’s Mike Greenberg already went off on this, stealing my thunder.

Greeny’s comments .

I will say one thing however, not only were you inactive, but you’re a rookie LB from TCU.

Your alma mater is playing better football than your current team.

Coupled with the fact that you haven’t even recorded one tackle in the NFL, what gives you the right to go on Twitter and “rip” the D.C. fans who could probably make a better linebacker than you will if you stay in the NFL that long?

So as the title asks: “What has the NFL turned into the past few years?”

Well, let’s sum this up.

1) The NFL is still a dominant league with some of the best athletes that this sport has ever seen (Peyton Manning , Tom Brady , Larry Fitzgerald, etc.).

2) For the most part, the NFL is still a respectable league and a professional league with a few slip-ups.

3) Roger Goodell has been a great commissioner, despite the suspensions, fines, and hard times the league has been through with the deaths of Sean Taylor and Steve McNair.

4) Larry Johnson, Mr. Nobody from TCU, Jay Cutler , Michael Crabtree , Brandon Marshall and as well as a few others, still don’t know how to be mature. Marshall is now off that list, but the Brandon Marshall of old was no adult.

5) It doesn’t pay to play in Oakland, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, or Washington.

6) The NFL rookie salaries have gone way out of line with some of the players not even deserving of the money they are issued.

7) I could go on and on about the good and the bad in the NFL, but overall, if someone asked me what the NFL has turned into the past few years, my response would be: A group of 1,480 men out of the estimated 1,500 work their ass off to play the game that they love and they love every bit of it. For everyone of those guys, there are a selected 20 who do not belong in the NFL because of their immature behavior

I would love to see Roger Goodell include in his conduct policy something about “a player’s actions on Twitter will be supervised and if deemed inappropriate, said player will be punished, depending on his exact actions.”

At least something along those lines.

So to the fans of the NFL, What has the NFL turned into the past few years for you?

Follow Lars on Twitter .

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/what-has-the-nfl-turned-into-the-past-few-years/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

What Has the NFL Turned Into the Past Few Years?

Published: October 28, 2009

comment No Comments

The media icon that is the NFL seemed to go from a league with players playing to win and get the prize inside every box (the Super Bowl) to a league that’s been loaded with player conduct problems, divas, and players just in it for the money.

On Aug. 8, 2006, Roger Goodell was selected to succeed retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue, voted on by 31 NFL GMs (Oakland abstained from all voting).

Goodell officially became the acting commissioner on Sept. 1.

From the moment Goodell was named to the commissioner position, he has been severely cracking down on off- and on-the-field player conduct/behavior.

In mid-2007, the off-field actions of NFL players Adam “Pacman” Jones and Chris Henry had become a major problem, not only for their respective teams, but for the league and its commissioner.

Following the new conduct policy, cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and WR Chris Henry became the first two players to be suspended.

Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season and Henry was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season.

Players to join Adam Jones (who was punished twice) and Chris Henry on the list were DT “Tank” Johnson (10 games), QB Michael Vick (first four games of 2009), and the latest being WR Donte Stallworth (entire 2009 season).

When McDaniels became the head coach, he became one of the youngest in NFL history.

So Josh McDaniels decided to make a controversial move by trading the disgruntled QB to the Chicago Bears for backup QB Kyle Orton and three picks (two first-round picks, ’09 and ’10).

Cutler is now 3-3 in Chicago and Kyle Orton is 6-0 in Denver. At least Brandon Marshall learned from his suspension by McDaniels and now is back to playing his best football.

Speaking of quarterback antics-though this time it’s not even close to the ones pulled by Cutler—the legend under center, Brett Favre, was going back and forth deciding if he wanted or did not want to play this season.

He finally made up his mind and signed with the Minnesota Vikings right after training camp, which is just what Favre wanted.

The great thing about Favre is that he didn’t come back for the money; everyone knows that and he’s proved that this season.

Favre came back because he loves the game of football and he’ll play as long as he wants to or until someone straps him down and won’t let him play any longer.

If there is a team out there that Favre likes and that needs a QB, he’ll sign.

Two talented quarterbacks, one offseason. One made the right move because he represents what the NFL should be and for the majority is, and that’s a team player. The other represents a cry baby who was dropped as a kid and now has to wish he was back where he used to be.

So far I’ve talked about divas/cry babies and the legend himself, Brett Favre, who is neither a diva nor a cry baby.

Now we have to look at another problem that’s not just in the NFL, but all sports, and that is the idiotic nature of players using Twitter.

In the past week, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been in hot water over a few of his “tweets.”

Johnson used his Twitter account to lash out at his first-year head coach, Todd Haley, and to make a homophobic slur.

“My father got more credentials than most of these pro coaches…google my father!!!!!!!”

“My father played for the coach from ‘remember the titans.’ Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefly. Our coach. Nuthn”

I would expect commissioner Roger Goodell to suspended and/or fine the former star running back.

I always wonder what’s going through the heads of those selected players when they decide to spill their minds on Twitter.

Some players, like Matt Hasselbeck, Alex Rios, Ron Artest, Shaq, and many others use Twitter in the way it’s supposed to be used—sharing the side of their life that fans don’t get to see on the field/court.

However, there have been a growing number of players that are using Twitter without the thought of consequence or they know they will get caught, but they don’t care or respect what the consequences could be.

Washington Redskins “nobody” Robert Henson is famous for being the biggest Twitter idiot to walk God’s green earth.

After the Redskins’ horrendous performance against the St. Louis Rams, the linebacker decided to speak his mind to the “wonderful” ‘Skins fans after the game.

“All you fake half hearted Skins fan can…I won’t go there but I dislike you very strongly, don’t come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!”

Well, the only part that caught the media headlines was “dim wits.”

Now not only was this a boneheaded move, but for the first two games—most notably the one against St. Louis—Henson was inactive.

Now the first tweet was uncalled for, but the one after that “dim wits” tweet is really what set many people off.

Henson also tweeted: “The question is who are you to say you know what’s best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at McDonalds”

Really?

The only thing down about this is that ESPN’s Mike Greenberg already went off on it, stealing my thunder.

Greeny’s comments: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4492151

I will say one thing, however. Not only were you inactive, but you’re a rookie LB from TCU.

Your alma mater is playing better football than your current team.

So as the title asks: “What has the NFL turned into the past few years?”

Well, let’s sum this up.

1) The NFL is still a dominant league with some of the best athletes that this sport has ever seen (Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, etc.).

2) For the most part, the NFL is still a respectable league and a professional league with a few slip-ups.

3) Roger Goodell has been a great commissioner, despite the suspensions, fines, and hard times the league has been through with the deaths of Sean Taylor and Steve McNair.

4) Larry Johnson, Mr. Nobody from TCU, Jay Cutler, Michael Crabtree, Brandon Marshall, as well as a few others, still don’t know how to be mature. Marshall is now off that list, but the Brandon Marshall of old was no adult.

5) It doesn’t pay to play in Oakland, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, or Washington.

6) The NFL rookie salaries have gone way out of line with some of the players not even deserving of the money they are issued.

7) I could go on and on about the good and the bad in the NFL, but overall, if someone asked me what the NFL has turned into the past few years, my response would be: A group of 1,480 men out of the estimated 1,500 work their ass off to play the game that they love and they love every bit of it. The selected 20 do not belong in the NFL for actions that do not result in mature behavior or in a working environment.

I would love to see Roger Goodell include in his conduct policy something about “a player’s actions on Twitter will be supervised and, if deemed inappropriate, said player will be punished, depending on his exact actions.”

At least something along those lines.

So to the fans of the NFL: What has the NFL turned into the past few years for you?

Follow Lars on Twitter .

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/what-has-the-nfl-turned-into-the-past-few-years/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Seahawks Jones Put On IR

Published: October 28, 2009

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Breaking news from The Seattle Times and Seahawks.com. The Seahawks officially announced today that All world LT Walter Jones will be out for the remainder of the 2009 season and it could very well mean the end of his outstanding career.

Walter Jones’ season ended before he could even get it started. Jones underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in December to clear out cartilage and it was expected he would make a strong recovery.

That never happened.

By placing Jones’ on IR the Seahawks really are shutting themselves down for the season and looking ahead to 2010, which is the first right move Jim Mora has made all year.

RT Sean Locklear is not expected to play this week against the Dallas Cowboys.

Recently signed OT Damion McIntosh is expected to become the starting LT making things very shaky on offense.

It seems it’s only a matter of time before the Seahawks start calling back Robbie Tobeck and other former Seahawks to fill-in during this time of need.

So the move to put LT Walter Jones on IR says his career is all but over and the Seahawks 2009 season is all but over.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson:

http://www.nfltouchdown.com/seahawks-lt-walter-jones-out-for-season-career/

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Rise and Fall Of Seahawks Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck

Published: October 25, 2009

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On March 2, 2001, the Seattle Seahawks traded for Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who would soon become the Seahawks best quarterback in franchise history.

The Seahawks traded their first round pick (10th overall) as well as the Seahawks third round pick in exchange for Hasselbeck and the Packers first round pick (17th overall).

The key to the trade going through was Seahawks head coach and GM Mike Holmgren, who was with Brett Favre and Matt Hasselbeck in Green Bay.

Holmgren knew more than anyone what Matt Hasselbeck was capable of and he knew it was worth the small price of what the Seahawks gave up.

Two years after being acquired by the Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck finally beat out his competition, Trent Dilfer to become the Seahawks starting quarterback.

Mike Holmgren’s decision to make Hasselbeck the starter paid off in the utmost way as Hasselbeck turned in a stellar season—leading the Seahawks to a 10-6 finish and a wildcard playoff berth. It was the first 10 win season since 1986 for the Seahawks.

However, the taste of the playoffs was short lived for the Seahawks as they lost in the first round of the ’03 playoffs to Holmgren and Hasselbeck’s former team—the Green Bay Packers.

It was the first of many questionable decisions made by Matt Hasselbeck. Going into OT, the Seahawks sent out their captains for the coin toss. What happened next will always be questioned by a lot of Seahawks fans.

Hasselbeck turned to the official after the coin landed and caught the official’s microphone.

“We want the ball and we are gonna score.”

At the time, I’m watching this and thinking to myself, ‘I love confidence but there is a fine line between confidence and stupidity’.

Hasselbeck wound up throwing a pick to Packers corner back Al Harris which finished off the Seahawks playoffs and sent them home with a bitter taste in their mouth.

However, Matt didn’t let that effect him going into the 2004 campaign, as he led the Seahawks to a 9-7 season and the Seahawks first of five division crowns since the Seahawks joined the NFC West.

The playoff story remained the same; little change. Hasselbeck didn’t say anything that he would regret, but the Seahawks still could not get out of the wild card playoff round lost to division rival, the St. Louis Rams.

The peak of Hasselbeck’s career would come in 2005 when he led the Seahawks to the best season in franchise history, as well as the team’s only super bowl.

Hasselbeck turned in a career low nine interceptions while throwing for 24 touchdowns and 3,459 yards passing.

The Seahawks went 13-3, a franchise best, on their way to Super Bowl XL in which they had a questionable lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Matt Hasselbeck mended up and put it behind him in the off season.

Some lone fans still can’t handle the ref’s calls during SB XL, but the Seahawks and Hasselbeck haven’t been the same since ’05.

After Super Bowl XL, Hasselbeck suffered a drastic setback in 2006 and was also forced to be sidelined for four games due to injury.

However, injuries were not the worst of Hasselbeck’s problems. He fell way short of his 2005 numbers. Matt finished 2006 with 18 TD’s, 15 INT’s and 2,442 yards passing but it was still enough to win the NFC West.

Matt Hasselbeck and Mike Holmgren gave it one last hurrah in 2007 and it led to Hasselbeck’s best statistical season of his career.

The running game for the Seahawks was depleted with injuries and the fall of Shaun Alexander.

So Holmgren was forced to go to a “pass first and pass heavy” offense and that’s when Hasselbeck broke free.

Matt threw for 28 TD’s, 12 INT’s and almost 4,000 yards passing and did not miss a single game. He finished with 3,966 yards passing in 2007.

It looked like the Seahawks could make another run at the super bowl after they had to come from behind to beat the Washington Redskinds 35-14 thanks to Marcus Trufant in the fourth quarter.

That off season Mike Holmgren announced that 2008 would be his final season with the Seahawks organization and that he would retire after the ’08 season no matter what the outcome.

Well, 2008 wound up being the second worst season (record wise) in franchise history as the Seahawks finished 4-12 and earned the fourth overall pick.

Matt missed nine games last season, the most by far in his career, which did nothing for the Seahawks because Matt joined about 12 other Seahawks starters on the sideline last season.

This season, new head coach Jim Mora Jr. hurt Hasselbeck even before the season started by hiring OC Greg Knapp who is a running coach and not a throwing coach which is Hasselbeck’s strength.

This season, in the two games that Matt has performed well in (St Louis and Jacksonville) he posted 69 points. The rest of the games, no matter who the QB is, the offense seems to be dead.

Hasselbeck put up three points against the Cardinals and had two great games against a weak defense.

The offensive line has been dead for the entire season so Matt hasn’t had a fair chance at anything.

So during the rise and fall of Matt Hasselbeck, there have been several key turning points. This is another downward turning point and if Knapp and Ruskell stick around, Matt will have to end his career early and unfairly.

Matt still has a lot of great years ahead of him but there are three things holding him back. One: offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. Two: the offensive line, and three: GM Tim Ruskell for not even getting him a halfway decent offensive line.

Hopefully the Seahawks add a LT, LG and RG so that Matt Hasselbeck can have the time to show why he’s the best QB in Seahawks history.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

This article was originally posted on NFLtouchdown.com by Lars Hanson:

http://www.nfltouchdown.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-seahawks-quarterback-matt-hasselbeck/