Holmgren Alternatives for the Seattle Seahawks: Tom Heckert

Now that Mike Holmgren is all-but-officially the man in charge of the Cleveland Browns and has rejected the Seahawks’ offer to be a member of their front office, any analysis of his merits for the position have become moot.

But the team still has a vacancy up top.

Tom Heckert, a long-time member of the Philadelphia Eagles’ staff, may be a decent candidate to take over that vacancy, though he doesn’t seem to be in any incredible hurry to change addresses.

Heckert, who presently serves as the general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles and has been in that position since 2006, is in a situation akin to what Scott Pioli’s situation was in Philadelphia. He is at least partially in charge of personnel for one of the most successful franchises of the past decade, but with the operative word being “partially,” the right opportunity could lure Heckert out of Philadelphia.

In his years leading up to working with Andy Reid, the Eagles’ head coach who holds essentially veto power in terms of the Eagles personnel, Heckert received a lot of praise from Reid’s past and present peers.

Jimmy Johnson told Reid that Heckert would be atop his list of names to hire were he to return to coaching.

In the Eagles’ media guide, Reid also praises Heckert’s propensity as a straight shooter and his lack of fear of expressing opinion, despite the type of high-profile coach he’s working with.

And with a recent contract extension signed by Reid, chances are Heckert won’t be taking over the complete personnel reigns in Philadelphia any time soon.

While many players grow up playing football and the sons of players grow up around professional football fields, locker rooms, etc., Heckert grew up spending time in the front office of several NFL teams, as his father, Tom Sr., was in the personnel ranks for 20 years.

While that experience, all be it extensive, could be far from material, there’s no doubt that Heckert is aware of how to conduct himself and familiar with the stresses that go into managing personnel in the NFL.

But he’s not a bad drafter either.

Again, acknowledging the fact that Reid has disproportionate control over personnel compared to other coaches, Heckert’s drafts as general manager have notably netted the Eagles guys like Broderick Bunkley, Kevin Kolb (who has looked impressive, and could follow Heckert to Seattle potentially), Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy.

That doesn’t include his first draft with the team, then the Eagles director of player personnel, which included Lito Sheppard and Brian Westbrook, among others.

And undrafted-free-agent signings of Greg Lewis and Quinton Mikell round out an already impressive value-conscious resume.

Heckert interviewed for the Browns job last year and withdrew his name from consideration for the job, and declined the Lions job, which would put him near his hometown of Adrian, Michigan, before interviewing.

But in both cases, Heckert would have faced massive rebuilding and a complete scheme overhaul. In Seattle, at least to some extent, he’s familiar with both the offensive and defensive schemes, and the players that thrive in each.

Noted for his scouting, Heckert would be a nice change from the “sign-rather-than-develop” approach that Tim Ruskell took to keep the Seahawks viable.

All-in-all, Heckert could probably make the easiest transition of any potentially available candidate and comes with considerably less baggage than some of the other candidates. 

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Mike Holmgren May Not Be the Best Candidate For Seattle Seahawks GM

 

As the Tim Ruskell era came to an end in Seattle, two things happened: Mike Holmgren’s name began to make frequent and logical appearances in headlines, and the Seahawks front office essentially admitted that the process by which it analyzes personnel was flawed.

Holmgren, unarguably the greatest coach in team history (apologies to Chuck Knox), finds himself with a perhaps unexpected slate of options after spending a year away from football. It was originally expected that Holmgren’s coaching days were over, but while he’s hinted at the potential to coach elsewhere, it’s likely that he’ll want near complete control of personnel, whether he’s the coach of the team he’s fielding or not.

The notion has been met with seemingly unanimous support from the Seattle community, which feels starved of success after being spoiled by the Seahawks that Holmgren constructed, at least in part.

But perhaps a return isn’t best for this franchise.

Holmgren controlled personnel for his first five years as head coach, with mixed results. Apart from his first draft, from which the best player selected was Charlie Rogers, a kick returner, among disappointments like Lamar King and Brock Huard, Holmgren didn’t draft terribly.

While Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson, and Darrell Jackson make up a respectable enough class over five years, draftees like Koren Robinson and Jerammy Stevens showed flashes of ability on occasion, and Chris McIntosh is perhaps the most poorly represented of all, as he’d become a pretty good offensive lineman by the time a neck injury ended his career.

However, Holmgren the general manager had the luxury of a future hall-of-famer as his coach. Holmgren himself deserves a lot of credit for developing young players, especially those who may not have had elite physical ability. He probably wouldn’t have that luxury these days.

Part of Holmgren’s identity as a coach is that he’s somewhat unwilling to adapt to personnel, or league trends. Apart from Andy Reid, Holmgren may be the most devout West Coast Offense traditionalist, something that has only had moderate success in recent years.

It seems inevitable that with a new general manager, present coach Jim Mora will be out the door without a quick turnaround. He wasn’t a Holmgren guy, and most new general manager regimes start by hiring new coaches.

It has been reported that if Holmgren were hired, John Gruden would eventually become the team’s coach. Gruden has a Super Bowl victory on his resume, and had pretty serious success in Oakland before leaving the team, only to beat them in the Super Bowl the following year. However, Gruden has done a very poor job of developing talent.

Gruden had most of his success with veteran quarterbacks. Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson were hardly stars in the league, but each had several years of experience in some form of West Coast Offense before succeeding under Gruden.

By contrast, when he had a young quarterback to develop, Chris Simms, he continually brought in veterans to play ahead of Simms, rather than letting Simms take his lumps as a starter. Simms eventually struggled considerably before rupturing his spleen.

Actually, Gruden’s players, almost across the board, have failed to develop. He won his Super Bowl with Tony Dungy’s players, and played against a team who he’d failed to coach to elite success.

The future coach of this team, even if it remains as Jim Mora is maybe more predicated on the guy coaching than the guy making decisions on players, and Holmgren’s tree of coaches may be dried up of talent.

With that, until the decision is made, I’ll be profiling “Holmgren Alternatives” weekly. 

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Sam Bradford Could be a Bargain for the Seahawks in 2010 Offseason

Though the Seahawks will have Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, and presumably Mike Teel on the roster at the quarterback position, it has been widely speculated that the team will use a high pick next year to grab a quarterback.

The team has struggled in the last two seasons with Seneca Wallace under center in Hasselbeck’s extended absences, and a few weeks ago, I called for the team to sign Jeff Garcia to be the backup to Hasselbeck.

But next year, it’s possible that Jake Locker, Colt McCoy, Jimmy Clausen, and Jevan Snead could make up the top tier of quarterbacks available in the draft, and with two first round picks, the Seahawks are in excellent position to take a stab at one of those guys in the first round.

However, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, who has recently seen his draft stock plummet as a result of two shoulder injuries, may be a suitable bargain for the team.

Quarterbacks taken at the top of the draft are paid at an astronomical level. Matt Stafford received a six-year, $72 million contract before playing a snap in the NFL.

For some perspective, the extension that Hasselbeck signed in 2005 was worth $47 million of six years.

With uncertainty in labor talks, it’s been speculated that in 2011 there will be a salary slotting system for draftees, making top picks, especially mistakes at the top of the first round more affordable.

But the Seahawks may need to act in an uncapped year.

Bradford will undergo surgery on his shoulder, which he sprained in the season opener against BYU, and re-aggravated the injury in his return against the Texas Longhorns. However, he’s already stated that barring a setback in the rehabilitation of his shoulder, he’ll be entering the NFL draft.

With four quarterbacks potentially slotted ahead of Bradford, there’s a distinct possibility that the signal-caller falls to the beginning of the second round, or the back of the first round, where the Seahawks will likely hold two picks (Denver’s first-rounder and Seattle’s natural second-rounder).

Pat White was the only quarterback taken in the second round of the 2009 draft. He signed a four-year deal worth $4.5 million with $2.5 million in guarantees, a far cry from Stafford’s monstrous contract.

Bradford’s mobility, accurate arm, and adequate size make him an ideal fit for the West Coast offense. However, he’s been criticized for putting up numbers behind one of college football’s best offensive lines, which protected him very well in 2008.

Doubters undoubtedly didn’t see anything in 2009 that make them believe that Bradford can deal with pressure in the pocket; rather, it’s quite the opposite. Bradford will have to learn to keep himself out of harm’s way, especially in an offense which relies on a quarterback’s mobility within the pocket as essentially an extra blocker.

But with Hasselbeck under center in 2010, Bradford would be allowed the luxury of spending an entire year on the sidelines, being mentored by Hasselbeck, who was once a quarterback in need of tutelage himself.

In recent years, some quarterbacks have slid in drafts to positions much lower than they expected to be drafted. Unfortunately for the drafting team, without a slotting system they’ve had to pay a contract somewhere between the going rate at the position they were drafted, and the rate at the higher position they expected to be drafted at.

Brady Quinn signed a five-year, $9.25 million contract, but the contract included large performance-based escalators, which appear less likely to be reached upon his benching, but could have made the contract worth close to $30 million.

Coming off of a shoulder injury though, the Seahawks may be able to get creative with the language in the contract in order to minimize the risk of signing Bradford.

All things considered, it would be a major coup for the Seahawks to be able to draft a player in the second round that went into the season as the consensus top quarterback available.

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Michael Vick and Donte’ Stallworth: Injustice Served

Less than one month after Michael Vick was released from Leavenworth, a military penitentiary, after 19 months served, Donte’ Stallworth began a 30-day jail sentence.

Almost a year ago I wrote an article about how Josh Hamilton and Ricky Williams were so differently characterized by the media despite their very similar pasts. The point I attempted to make was that while Williams has been rightfully vilified and deserves no sympathy, Hamilton has been unduly celebrated.

Another injustice occurred when Stallworth was sentenced, but unlike the comparison of Williams to Hamilton, the centerpiece of the injustice is not race, but species.

During Vick’s legal process, there was something of a racial uproar, and while I feel that there was a cultural bias, I don’t think that race was the culprit.

I recently visited a good friend of mine in Atlanta. He owns two pit bulls. At the end of a beverage-heavy night, he, I, and a few of his friends were all talking in his back yard. I asked if any of them had been to a dog fight. They all said no. I asked if they’ve heard of any dog fights, and the answers became a lot less negative.

Truth be told, whether it is crawfish or coffee beans, hula skirts or halter tops, marijuana or methamphetamines, there are simply things that go on in regions of this country, right and wrong, that the rest of the country simply won’t understand.

When Vick called his acts a “mistake,” he was criticized. He attempted to pass a despicable lifestyle off with the same term of remorse as one would use when waking up late for work or parking illegally.

Vick was wrong, he’s a criminal, and he was given a sentence that, at least to some extent, fit the crime.

If we are in fact from whence we came, be it the product of poverty or prosperity, is persecution the mandatory reaction to the exposure of origin?

When Vick was suspected of animal cruelty, the hyper-liberal Northwest, where I’m from, had convicted him in their own minds already. It wasn’t because he was black, but because animals have grown to have more rights in the public conscience than humans, which is the crux of the problem.

We have become desensitized to human death and suffering in this country. From Darfur to Honduras, from Italy to Iraq, news stories have become a fashion statement, a status symbol, a beacon for hipness.

Recovery is no longer measured in quality of life, but pallet quantities of aid supplies and measurements cease when a newer, sexier, trendier plight is established.

Vick killed dogs, he fought dogs, he tortured dogs, and he facilitated the same heinous acts even when his hands weren’t bloody.

He’s been in the news for the better part of two years as a result.

Stallworth killed a human being. A man’s life ended because Stallworth, knowingly impaired, got behind the wheel of a car. A man with a family, a history, a past, no longer has a life because of Stallworth. Stallworth was sentenced to one twenty-third the sentence that Vick got.

But human death is boring and overplayed.

Stallworth’s accident was a display of bad judgment. But he wasn’t playing with his stereo or text messaging—he was drunk. He didn’t make a mistake; he made a decision, or more accurately, multiple decisions. Multiple bad decisions.

Somehow, Stallworth has come out of this case looking like a decent guy. He didn’t flee the scene, he expressed remorse, and he’s reached out to the family of the deceased. However, that does not excuse the action that led to his remorse.

Acting properly after the incident doesn’t absolve sin.

Perhaps, though, familiarity is what has led to our leniency. Each of us probably knows someone who has, or have ourselves driven impaired in the last week, month, or year.

Driving intoxicated has become as much a laughing as a legal matter. A DUI is often met with the same reaction as a speeding ticket: “It sucks he got caught.”

As part of Stallworth’s plea agreement, he agreed to pay $2,500 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He reached a financial settlement with the family of the deceased, avoiding a civil suit.

Remorse isn’t reincarnation or revival—and reconciliation shouldn’t be measured in dollar figures, though it often is.

But dogs don’t have bank accounts.

That doesn’t mean, however, that Vick hasn’t suffered financially.

Vick filed for bankruptcy, was released from a contract worth more than $100 million, and has lost two years in his chosen profession directly from his athletic prime.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been at the forefront of Vick critics. They’ve demonstrated at hearings and organized a campaign for Vick to educate people on animal rights upon his release from prison.

But like many activists groups, they’ve leapt the murky moat between motivation and agenda.

PETA works toward equality between human and animal rights, but when did equality become a relative term?

For that matter, when did ethics become a catch phrase?

Human lives have inherited a monetary value, effectively cheapening their inherent value. But when did humane and humanity lose their first five letters?

Perhaps sports are a poor outlet and a bad parallel for societal woes, but it appears that the judicial system is trading human lives for animal lives at pennies on the dollar.

 

Check out Casey and other talented writers at 5th Quarter Sports. Also, we’re looking for talented writers outside the Northwest. Inquire within.

Bar Stool Banter with Owen Schmitt: Seahawks’ Fullback Mock Interview

Owen, my most important question needs to be asked before you and I sit on our bar stools. I’m on a Pabst Blue Ribbon and, well, vodka budget, and you aren’t, so who is picking up the tab?

In all seriousness Owen, you’ve got big shoes to fill. Leonard Weaver was something of a cult hero among fans in Seattle. You’re something of a cult hero in West Virginia, can you take over for Weaver both on the field and in the hearts and minds of the fans?

Weaver played tight end in college, and was considered a very good pass-catcher. You also took some snaps at tight end. Who is a better pass catcher, you or Leonard Weaver?

Lets talk about “The Legend of Owen Schmitt,” you’ve achieved a Chuck Norris like following with some of your antics. Is the helmet-bashing, coaster-eating, bleacher-jumping, band-following guy with a Mohawk a persona you keep off the field also? And if so, explain how it helps you as a football player from an intimidation or mental clarity standpoint.

The night the Seahawks drafted you were playing in a band with two of your college buddies, did you get the opportunity to watch any of the draft? How did it feel to be on stage with a guitar, rather than pads and a helmet?

Some fans have been critical of your commitment to football, citing a lack there of, very much related to your trip to Charleston, West Virginia to play music with your friends, explain to Seahawks fans why they shouldn’t be worried about your commitment to the game.

Explain what it feels like to be at the foundation of a West Virginia surge to prominence. Do you still talk to Steve Slaton or Pat White? If so, were you excited for White when he was drafted in the second round?

You were born with a cleft palate Owen. How did that effect you growing up, and do you have any plans to raise awareness of the condition in the public perception?

Thank you for your time Owen, we’re all hoping to see a seamless transition at the fullback position and hopefully you can be a large reason for that. (Whispering: Beer Pong at my place.)

 

Seattle Seahawks’ New Coaching Staff at a Glance

There’s a new show in town. With the departure of Mike Holmgren, who has decided to take at least a year off from coaching, the Seahawks coaching staff has a bunch of new faces.

Former mainstays John Marshall and Gil Haskell are gone.

Marshall had been with the team since 2003, serving first as the team’s linebackers coach, and later as the team’s defensive coordinator when Ray Rhodes stepped down for health reasons.

Haskell joined Holmgren in Green Bay when Holmgren got the job in 1992, and has spent all but one season with the former coach since then.

A lot of things are bound to change, both offensively and defensively, though they may not be wholesale changes.

Jim Mora, the team’s new head coach, had been in waiting as the team’s defensive backs coach and assistant head coach.

Mora, the son of Jim E. Mora (Seattle’s Mora isn’t a “Junior,” but Jim L. Mora), got his first big break as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator in 1999. Oddly enough, he replaced John Marshall when he took the job.

Under Mora, there is sure to be a significant shift, as Mora is a defense-oriented coach, a stark change from Holmgren, widely considered an “offensive guru.”

Mora, however, is a proponent of the West Coast Offense, something Holmgren helped pioneer, and though the version the team has chosen to run will likely be more conservative than that of Holmgren, it won’t be a wholesale change.

Also, it is clear that the team will put a greater emphasis on the Cover Two defensive scheme. Though Mora may not be a purveyor of the defense in its purest form, an offseason interview of Rod Marinelli and the eventual hire of Casey “Gus” Bradley were indicative of the change.

Mora was widely criticized for poor defensive back play last season. He was in charge of the unit, and they were widely considered one of the team’s weaknesses, despite impressive 2007 seasons from Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings.

However, even the most stubborn pessimists should examine the recent roller-coaster path that DeAngelo Hall’s career has taken. Under Mora’s tutelage, and a zone-based scheme in Atlanta, Hall established himself among the elite cornerbacks in the NFL.

After being traded to the Oakland Raiders before the 2007 season, Hall’s play and production dropped off, struggling to adapt to a man-coverage-based scheme in Oakland, and in 2008 he was released. He’s returned to form, at least partially, in a more familiar scheme playing for the Washington Redskins.

If Trufant and Jennings, as well as Josh Wilson and recently acquired Ken Lucas can form one of the league’s formidable secondaries, with help from Deon Grant and Brian Russell, familiar with the Cover Two from his days in Minnesota, Mora’s hiring may be a major coup for Seattle early.

Gus Bradley is a relatively inexperienced coach. He spent a year as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive quality control coach in 2006, a title that seems fit for a factory worker, after spending a decade at his alma mater North Dakota State.

His coaching career began in 1990 when he became a graduate assistant at NDSU. He also spent four years, and held various titles at Fort Lewis College. No, not that Fort Lewis.

After a decade-and-a-half coaching lower-level college football, the Bucs took a flyer on the coach and made him their linebackers coach.

Bradley learned under Monte Kiffin, one of the pioneers of the “Tampa Two,” which is certainly reason for optimism for Seahawks fans.

The Tampa Two is a more aggressive hybrid of the Cover Two.

Bradley comes to Seattle with high praise from Kiffin, who left the Bucs to coach with his son and former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin.

Bradley’s something of an unknown commodity at this point. He’s got very little big-time coaching experience, but an endorsement from a defensive mind like Kiffin, and the Tampa Two’s relative success should give Seahawks fans hope going into 2009.

Stepping into replace Haskell is former Raiders, Falcons and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. I went into detail about Knapp’s offense, and its philosophical opposition with the Cover Two.

Seattle Times columnist Danny O’Neil blogged about that article, and disagreed with the premise, albeit respectfully. On that same article, Jacob Stevens also offered some valuable insight.

However, while each cites Knapp’s tenure in San Francisco as an indication that Knapp’s offense will be more balanced than the run-heavy description I gave, the viewpoint may be misleading.

Both O’Neil and Stevens pointed out that Knapp’s only time spent as both an offensive coordinator, and with an adequate, veteran quarterback was in San Francisco. There’s undeniable truth to that statement. Knapp’s quarterbacks in Atlanta and Oakland were Mike Vick and JaMarcus Russell respectively.

The following table shows the 49ers rank, and quantity of both pass and run attempts throughout Mornhinweg and Knapp’s tenures as the team’s offensive coordinator:

Knapp coached Jeff Garcia in San Francisco. Garcia and Terrell Owens were both coming off of Pro Bowl seasons under Marty Mornhinweg in 2000, despite a 6-10 record that year, when Knapp took the job in 2001.

Both Knapp and Mornhinweg coached under Steve Mariucci, an offensive-minded coach, but clearly each had a pretty distinct influence on the team’s play selection. Though, Knapp would coach under Dennis Erickson in 2003.

Alarmingly, while Mornhinweg and Knapp both saw similar regressions in terms of team success during their time as the 49ers offensive coordinator, they changed their play calling in very different ways.

Part of Stevens comments said “As for the offense, Knapp indeed seems so hell-bent on “balance” that he could pursue it to a fault at the detriment of the offense.” With numbers attached, that seems more insightful.

Conventional wisdom would dictate that a team that is losing more frequently would pass the ball more often.

Mornhinweg did just that, even with the retirement of Steve Young, Mornhinweg passed the ball more frequently during Garcia’s first year as a full time starter than in any other year in San Francisco.

Knapp by contrast, called less pass plays in the team’s worst year with him at the helm than in its best, 85 less.

While the injury to Garcia would seem to indicate that the playbook was made more pass-conservative for Tim Rattay. However, in Rattay’s three starts he averaged 28.7 passes per game, compared to the team’s season-long average of 25.7.

Knapp’s years in Atlanta and Oakland, with inadequate and inexperienced passers notwithstanding, the Seahawks and their fans may be due for an awful lot of ground game, hopefully awful isn’t the operative word.

Seattle Seahawks: Mora and Knapp’s Scheme Changes Could Lead to Losses

The Seahawks had an awful year last year. With a new coaching staff and significantly new personnel, on both sides of the ball, the Seahawks and their fans are both in for an awakening, be it rude or polite.

There are essentially two schools of thought on the reason for the Seahawks down 2008 season: They were faced with a multitude of injuries, or they simply really are that bad.

Optimists will rattle off a list of feasible, injury-related causes. Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, and several other Seahawks starters struggled to stay healthy in 2008.

Pessimists will point out that Hasselbeck had his worst season as a Seahawk in every important statistical category, and that age and health aren’t on his side.

They’ll point out that Walter Jones had a microfracture, and that the injury has ended careers of players much younger than Jones.

They’ll point out that the team was led in receiving by John Carlson, a rookie tight end.

They’ll say that the remaining Seahawks consist of a lot of “has beens,” “never weres,” and “never-will-bes.”

And they’ll point out that Jim Mora, the team’s new head coach, was given the task of coaching defensive backs, perhaps the most criticized unit on the team.

Terms like “cover two” and “zone-blocking” have been the deafening cries of the offseason this year. Each has a famous story of success, Tampa Bay and Denver respectively.

However, perhaps each has been misrepresented as a wholesale change, while the Seahawks employed each under Mike Holmgren, at least in part.

The real focus, at least for pessimists, should be on the third, less audacious phrase that has littered offseason chatter, “emphasis on the running game,” in reference to the offensive philosophy of the team’s new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

It’s not as if a Cover Two team has never won the Super Bowl; in fact, between Indianapolis and Tampa Bay, as well as the Chicago Bears appearance in 2006 against the Colts, the once-trendy defense has been well represented.

Similarly, zone-blocking is almost solely responsible for the Denver Broncos getting over the hump, as the team finally had a formidable running game to pair with John Elway.

There have also been several run-first teams which won the Super Bowl in recent years, Pittsburgh beat the Seahawks in 2005 with a heavy run-pass ratio scheme, and the Baltimore Ravens ran their way to a Super Bowl victory in 2000.

However one thing that has proven difficult across the league, is to pair a heavy run-pass ratio with an emphasis on Cover Two defense, and have elite success.

The Vikings, who have run a version of the Cover Two, have been very run-heavy since acquiring Adrian Peterson, and rightfully so.

The super-talented back may be the best in the league right now, and especially in today’s NFL, finding a talented back who can take a pounding for 300 or more carries is a rare feat.

But the team has been mired in mediocrity despite boasting a respectable defense.

Today’s NFL has become a game of big plays, of explosive plays, of extraordinary athletes making extraordinary plays in extraordinary situations.

There’s no doubting that the Ravens, Steelers or New England Patriots have had the ability to make huge plays of defense. While the two latter teams have likely hall of fame quarterbacks, they’ve both won behind ball-control running games.

Conversely, the Colts, who employ a largely Cover Two based scheme, had struggles on defense, but an explosive offense has made them a Super Bowl contender year in and year out.

The Bears however, may be the best—or worst beacon for worry among Seahawks fans.

The Bears have had mixed success under head coach Lovie Smith. The team has made two playoff appearances, including their 2006 Super Bowl appearance, but has gone .500 the last two seasons.

The team forced 42 turnovers in 2005, the first of their two playoff appearances. The team rode Kyle Orton’s game management, 314 carries from Thomas Jones, but also ranked in the top 10 in both sacks and turnovers, and intercepted almost one of every 20 passes attempted against them.

In 2006 Rex Grossman stepped in under center, and the offense was more explosive. He threw passes of 40 or more yards in seven of his 16 regular season games, something Orton did in only three games the year before.

The team also drafted Devin Hester. Hester returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns, and helped the Bears scored the second-most points in the NFL in 2006.

The team kept up its elite defensive ways, and ended up playing on the biggest stage in sports.

Since then, the team has gone 16-16, opting to put Orton back under center for a time, eventually turned over most of the skill positions on offense, converted Hester from a cornerback to a wide receiver, and traded for Jay Cutler.

The Cover Two is a “bend but don’t break defense.” Like chess strategy, it concedes defeat on occasion. The Cover Two isn’t great against the run, and is inherently at its most effective when the team running it has the lead.

By contrast, a run-first offense concedes that a defense, given enough cushion, can hold whatever slim lead or field position advantage the team may have.

Field position football is a bad way to obtain a sizable lead, and Cover Two is a bad scheme for holding a slim one.

In Tampa Bay, where the team’s version of the Cover Two was so successful that the entire scheme is often mistakenly referred to as “Tampa Two,” for years Tony Dungy paired the defense with a run-heavy offense.

Dungy eventually got fired, and in would step John Gruden.

Gruden had turned Rich Gannon, a former journeyman quarterback, into a Pro Bowler in Oakland. He’d do the same for the Bucs’ Brad Johnson in 2002, and eventually emerge triumphant over his former quarterback in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Dungy went on to win a Super Bowl in Indianapolis, but not without the aforementioned explosive offense.

Both Gruden and Dungy acquired elite squads on the side of the ball they weren’t known to coach.

Mora, by contrast, is stepping into a group of “maybe-still-ares.” He won’t have the luxury of an explosive, though unrefined quarterback in Michael Vick like he and Knapp had in Atlanta, and unless Aaron Curry is the second-coming of Derrick Brooks, the team’s defense appears nowhere near the quality of the formerly great Bucs defenses.

2009 will be in educational year, but perhaps the just the first of few for Mora and Knapp in Seattle.

Seattle Seahawks’ Draft is Over, Hill’s Back: Now What?

As April 26 wound to an end, the Seahawks were left with a handful of valuable tools, and their fans perhaps a ray of hope going into 2009. In the first three rounds, the team drafted three players: Aaron Curry, Max Unger, and Deon Butler, who should all play significant snaps this season.

After that, the team drafted four very interesting prospects.

Mike Teel, though perhaps not an ideal West Coast Offense quarterback prospect, has a skill set that is intriguing.

While Courtney Greene initially adds depth to an aging, under-performing safety tandem, if he makes the team he may end up sending either Brian Russell or Deon Grant packing.

Nick Reed may be able to play defensive end on this team, but may ultimately spend time at linebacker, though he’ll have to prove himself in coverage first.

Cameron Morrah offers potential depth at the tight end position, but could also step in to play in an H-Back role if the team deems him capable of blocking at the position. He’s a good athlete, and if he makes the team he could create mismatches in occasional appearances in the slot.

All of this, and the team acquired a first round pick from the Broncos, a team with a new coach, installing a new offense and defense, a new quarterback and running back, and an offensive line that is intentionally undersized, acquired by the previous regime. Needless to say, the pick could be a high one.

However, despite perhaps Tim Ruskell’s best draft as Seahawks’ general manager, the team has a few thin spots, and a few holes that need to be filled.

Runningback

When the Seahawks let Leonard Weaver go to Philadelphia, they hurt the team at two positions. Weaver’s an adequate blocker at the fullback position, but gave the team flexibility in their use and handling of T.J. Duckett. Weaver is a very good pass-catcher, and the team doesn’t have a proven receiver out of the backfield.

The team brought in Justin Griffith during the period of time when LeRoy Hill was a free agent. While Griffith is an athletic fullback, he hasn’t proven to be a receiving threat.

The team also signed undrafted free agent Devin Moore, but the super-athlete may not make the team. Even if he does, he may be relegated to the return game.

Warrick Dunn is a free agent, and like Griffith he played under Jim Mora and Greg Knapp in Atlanta. Dunn’s days as a borderline feature-back are likely through, but the ageless Dunn carried the ball 186 times last season paired with 47 receptions. More receptions than Julius Jones and Duckett combined.

Edgerrin James is also a free agent. His per-carry averages have slipped in recent years, but the 30 year old played in an offense that has struggled to find production from anyone at the runningback position.

James provides insurance for a potential Jones injury, and also caught 50 or more balls in five of his first six seasons in the NFL. The other season he tore his ACL, but had 24 catches in only six games.

In Dunn the coaching staff would gain familiarity, and in James the team would gain a younger back, and one who may hold a grudge against the defending NFC West champions, the Arizona Cardinals, who released James only after securing Chris Wells in the draft.

Wide Receiver

Right now, the Seahawks receiving corps would have trouble measuring up to most junior high basketball teams. Ideally, the team could move T.J. Houshmandzadeh to power forward at his modest 6’1”, and bring in a large red-zone target.

Plaxico Burress, Matt Jones and Reggie Williams are all tall, talented receivers, but guns, coke and weed don’t make it through the door at Tim Ruskell’s party. Unless of course, your name is LeRoy Hill and you’re one of his biggest coups to date.

Ruskell may instead look to former Seahawks like D.J. Hackett and Joe Jurevicius, both of whom have been disappointing in their new settings, and could be inexpensive.

Amani Toomer is available. The veteran would add another layer of leadership behind Houshmandzadeh, but may not be very productive.

The most interesting available receiver is Drew Bennett. Bennett once caught 80 balls for 1247 yards and 11 touchdowns in Tennessee. Then shaky quarterback play, and a poor scheme fit in St. Louis later, the former stud is a forgotten man.

At 6’5”, and with experience in a WCO, Bennett would offer an interesting body at minimum, all at a rock bottom price.

Linebacker

The team drafted Curry and re-signed LeRoy Hill to a cap-friendly deal, however, Curry would be better served learning a Cover-2 from the linebacker who all-but-perfected the Cover-Two weakside linebacker position.

Derrick Brooks is a free agent, and while the team seems adequately stocked at the position, Brooks may come to Seattle at a discount. Realistically, the only thing keeping Brooks on the field at this point is the hunt for another Super Bowl ring.

If Brooks thinks that Seattle offers and adequate opportunity, the team must explore the opportunity to bring in the future Hall of Famer.

Secondary

In signing Ken Lucas, the Seahawks did a lot to address some of the issues plaguing the team’s cover unit. Lucas can match up against the division’s larger receivers, and may be able to play safety in a pinch.

Rod Hood is available, and exiting his mid-20s. At the right price, bringing in the former Cardinal cornerback would have to be explored. While the team has depth at the position, the extra body, at least going into the preseason should be welcomed.

Also available is Lawyer Milloy. Milloy is a friend of Jim Mora’s, and the two briefly crossed paths in a player-coach capacity in Atlanta in 2006.

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