Seattle Seahawks Face Tough Decisions at Receiver and D-Line

With rosters due to be set at 53 by Saturday, the Seahawks still need to decide on a kicker and then figure out what to do with nine other guys on the bubble. 

It all depends on (1) whether they put injured cornerback Marcus Trufant on the PUP for the first six weeks, (2) whether they keep five or six receivers, and (3) whether they feel both Nick Reed and Michael Bennett should be on the roster, giving them 10 defensive linemen.

Other than kickers Olindo Mare and Brandon Coutu, the bubble boys include receivers Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent; defensive linemen Reed, Bennett and Baraka Atkins; linebacker Lance Laury and defensive backs Kevin Hobbs and Jamar Adams.

Here’s a breakdown of the Seahawks’ roster:

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Definite: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace

Probable: Mike Teel

Against Oakland, you could finally see some of what the Seahawks saw that made them draft Teel in the sixth round. When he has time to set, he can throw a very nice ball. He hit Deon Butler with a 22-yard touchdown pass, and then threw a beautiful 38-yard rainbow to Obomanu to put Seattle up 14-7. In a little over two quarters of work, he completed 11 of 19 passes for 148 yards, with no interceptions.

Wallace sat vs. Oakland to rest a strained lower abdomen. Good thing since the Hawks surely plan to use him as a utility offensive player this season, and the bet here is it will start in the opener against the Rams.

RUNNING BACKS (3)

Definite: Julius Jones, Edgerrin James, Justin Forsett.

James carried the ball twice, and he looked good doing it. He’ll be a good No. 2 behind Jones. And Jim Mora would be wise to give him plenty of carries against Arizona, because James surely has a score to settle with the Cards.

FULLBACKS (2)

Definite: Justin Griffith, Owen Schmitt.

Griffith has won the starting job over second-year man Schmitt, and justifiably so. Griffith knows the offense better than anyone on the team, and he showed it in the preseason. He’s a pro’s pro.

 
TIGHT ENDS (3)

Definite: John Carlson, John Owens.

Probable: Joe Newton.

After two years of toiling in training camps and on the practice squad, Newton figures to finally make the final 53, beating out rookie Cameron Morrah.

WIDE RECEIVERS (5)

Definite: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch, Deon Butler.

Probable: Ben Obomanu.

Questionable: Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent.

Obomanu and Taylor have always been the favorites for the last two receiving spots, and they both got a lot of looks vs. Oakland, but Obomanu would seem to be the favorite for the fifth receiver spot.

And, based on Mora’s comments, the Hawks might keep only five. “We’ve got to look at everything they’ve done and decide who’s the best man that fits this team. It’s going to be a difficult decision, very difficult.”

Note he said MAN, singular. Maybe he didn’t mean it, but if he did, it seems the Hawks might lean toward Obomanu, a 2006 seventh-rounder who is the most experienced receiver in camp behind the top three.

If the Hawks keep six, Taylor would probably be the guy, meaning the three-year Jordan Kent experiment would be over.

By the way, Butler is the future in Seattle and could replace Burleson if the veteran leaves in free agency after the season. Butler simply is a professional receiver who catches the ball with his hands and is not afraid to go across the middle.  

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Definite: LT Walter Jones, LG Rob Sims, C Chris Spencer, RG/C Max Unger, RT Ray Willis, OT Sean Locklear, C Steve Vallos, OG Mansfield Wrotto.

Probable: OT Kyle Williams.

With Jones injured, the Seahawks must have a third tackle. They will probably find one on the waiver wire, but until then Williams will be the guy as he was at the end of last season. Among the tackles the Seahawks could pursue for depth are Mark Tauscher, Levi Jones, Jonas Jennings, Oliver Ross, Damion McIntosh. They also might wait until after the first game, for salary purposes, to add one.

The Hawks also have been rumored to be interested in demoted Green Bay C Scott Wells, but the only reason they might do that is if they put Spencer on IR. Even then, they still have Vallos and Unger at center.

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)

Definite:DE Patrick Kerney, DL Cory Redding, DT Colin Cole, DT Brandon Mebane, DE Darryl Tapp, DE Lawrence Jackson, DT Red Bryant, DT Craig Terrill.

Probable: DE Nick Reed.

Questionable: DL Michael Bennett, DE Baraka Atkins.

Reed has played his way on to the team, and his hustle will come in handy on special teams. Atkins probably lost his position to Reed, who is just a more dynamic player. If the Hawks keep 10 D-linemen, Bennett would be the last man in, but we think it’s more likely he’ll end up on the practice squad.

LINEBACKERS (6)

Definite: LB Lofa Tatupu, LB Leroy Hill, LB Aaron Curry, LB D.D. Lewis, LB Will Herring, LB David Hawthorne.

Probable:LB Lance Laury.

Curry came to play against Oakland, and it was good to see. He finished with four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, and he was right behind Hawthorne on a sack on the first play. The Hawks are deep at linebacker after Herring and Hawthorne had good camps to prove their mettle, so if the team keeps six receivers and 10 D-linemen, Laury could be expendable.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (8)

Definite:CB Marcus Trufant, CB Ken Lucas, CB Josh Wilson, CB Kelly Jennings, S Deon Grant, S Brian Russell, DB Jordan Babineaux, S C.J. Wallace .

Questionable: CB Kevin Hobbs, S Jamar Adams.

Hobbs has not had a good preseason, and the only way he makes the team is if the Hawks put Trufant on the PUP. Jennings, meanwhile, had a pretty good preseason and could be a pleasant surprise as the dime corner this season. Adams might be destined for the practice squad again. 

Specialists (3)

Definite: P Jon Ryan, LS Kevin Houser.

Questionable:K Olindo Mare, K Brandon Coutu.

The kicking battle was supposed to be one of the best in camp, but it turned out to be a complete dud. Instead of dangling one of the kickers as trade bait, the Hawks will probably just end up cutting one. But which one?

Mare is the incumbent, with a strong leg, but he’s older and more expensive than Coutu. Coutu is cheaper, younger and healthier than Mare, but his kickoffs aren’t as good. In the end, health might be the deciding factor. 

If the Hawks go with Coutu, they also might consider using Ryan, who had an awesome preseason, to kick off. If they cut Coutu and no other team claimed him (unlikely), they could put him on the practice squad because he was not active for any games last season.

PRACTICE SQUAD (8)

Probable: S Jamar Adams, DL Michael Bennett, S Courtney Greene, WR Mike Hass, RB Devin Moore, TE Cameron Morrah, WR Logan Payne.

Questionable: OL Andre Ramsey, DE Derek Walker.

Players are eligible for the squad if they do not have an accrued season of free-agency credit or were on the 45-player active list for fewer than nine games during their only accrued season(s). Players cannot participate on the practice squad for more than three seasons.

For a preview of the Pac-10 football season, with focus on the sad-sack Washington teams, go Outside The Press Box.  

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Cutting Deion Branch Would Make Little Cents & No Sense

It’s easy to understand why some people are clamoring for the Seahawks to cut receiver Deion Branch, who has been an injury-plagued bust since Tim Ruskell traded a first-round pick for him in 2006. 

Branch has played in only 33 of 47 possible games in that time, and the Hawks have paid him $22.5 million for the meager production (average of 44 catches, 599 yards and four touchdowns per season).

Ruskell certainly should have told Branch to take a pay cut from the $4.94 million he will make in 2009, but simply cutting the receiver now would be stupid.

For one, the Hawks would save a mere $140,000 against the salary cap ($4.8 million in bonus proration would accelerate to 2009).

But bigger than that, why would the Hawks cut a talented guy who has shown the ability to make plays when he has been healthy?

It’s pretty funny that so many people are yammering that the Seahawks need keep only five receivers for Greg Knapp’s offense. Does no one remember what happened in 2008?

For those with short-term memory loss, here’s a refresher:

Ben Obomanu missed the season with a broken collarbone, Nate Burleson missed 15 games with a torn ACL, Logan Payne missed 14 with a torn MCL, Branch missed eight games (three coming back from ACL surgery and five with a heel injury) and Bobby Engram missed three with a broken shoulder.

It was so bad that the Seahawks had to burn a fifth-round pick in a desperation trade for Keary Colbert and then decided to bring back Koren Robinson.

With that recent history in mind, does anyone really think it’s a good idea to keep only five receivers?

If the Hawks are smart, they will keep their best six. And Branch is No. 3 on that list.

With the addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the healthy return of Burleson, the pressure is off Branch to live up to the mammoth $39 million deal Ruskell gave him in 2006. So it figures that Branch will probably stay completely healthy in 2009 and contribute when least expected as the team’s No. 3 wideout.

Houshmandzadeh, Burleson, Branch, rookie Deon Butler and tight end John Carlson comprise the best weapons quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has had since he arrived in Seattle eight years ago. Why take one of those play makers away?

If Branch doesn’t make it through the season, the Hawks can let him go in 2010. But if he finally manages to stay healthy and perform well, the Hawks will have a fallback option next offseason if they can’t re-sign Burleson.

So, while the emotional response is to say, “Cut Deion Branch,” the smart thing is to give him one more chance to stay healthy now that the pressure is off and help give the Hawks one of the best passing offenses in the league.

Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scenes. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum—we’re Outside The Press Box.

Mike Holmgren Admits His Preference Is to Be Coach AND GM Again

In an interview with KJR-AM recently, Mike Holmgren admitted what most people suspected but what he had not actually said yet: His first choice next year would be to return as a coach AND general manager of an NFL team.

Of course, Holmgren realizes that opportunity might not present itself, in which case he would simply weigh options for returning to coaching or for stepping into some team’s front office—or for doing something outside football.

Under normal circumstances, Holmgren would be Option 1, 2 and 3 for any team looking for a coach. But he actually might face some stiff competition next offseason if Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher decide to return as well.

The one place where Holmgren would certainly be Option 1 is San Francisco, near where he just built a new home. Fans in the Bay Area were clamoring for him this offseason, before the 49ers gave the job to interim coach Mike Singletary.

But if Singletary fails miserably in his first full season in San Francisco, the York family might listen to the calls for Holmgren and bring the coaching legend home, back to where he started his NFL career. Holmgren could replace his former protégé, Scot McCloughan, as GM and Singletary as coach.

However, if the 49ers make progress under Singletary or if the Yorks simply don’t want to eat the rest of the four-year deal they gave Singletary this year and pay big money to a new coach, Holmgren will have to look elsewhere. And that’s where he’ll be up against Shanahan and Cowher—and possibly even one of his former star pupils, Jon Gruden.

The teams most likely to be looking for new coaches—and thus at the Fab Four—next offseason are Washington and Buffalo, along with perhaps Houston, Cincinnati, Dallas and Minnesota. Any of those teams not making the playoffs in 2009 are expected to fire their coaches.

It’s Official: The Seattle Seahawks’ Chris Spencer is a first-round bust

Unfortunately, it’s time to officially label Seattle center Chris Spencer a bust. The former first-round pick just can’t stay healthy, and it’s time for the Seahawks to move on with Steve Vallos and, eventually, Max Unger.

Spencer is expected to be out at least a month with a torn quadriceps, but the Seahawks should simply cut their losses and put him on injured reserve to avoid having to cut a player who otherwise would have made the team. That way the Seahawks can find another lineman to help the depth of a unit that currently has only six healthy experienced players: LT Sean Locklear, LG Rob Sims, Vallos, Unger, RT Ray Willis, and OG Mansfield Wrotto.

Spencer’s time should be up. Drafted 26th overall in 2005, he spent his first season watching Robbie Tobeck. He was starting by the next year after Tobeck was forced out by an abdominal injury. However, Spencer had a tough time learning the mental side of his position.

In 2007, Spencer started every game but was bothered by a shoulder injury and then dislocated his thumb. He had surgery for both problems after that season.

Then he missed most of training camp last year with a back problem that later landed him on IR after 11 games.

Seattle coaches were committed to him as their center this season, which is the last of his rookie contract. Coach Jim Mora said Spencer will miss at least the first two games. By the time he returns, Vallos should be well established at center, and Spencer would not be needed. What is needed is depth at tackle—now.

Walter Jones, recovering from knee surgery, is expected to miss the first game, but he could be out even longer than that.

Sean Locklear struggled at left tackle against Denver, giving up two sacks and drawing a false-start penalty. The team won’t give up on him because he is viewed as the future left tackle—and the Hawks don’t have many options.

But they definitely need some depth help. Tackle options could include former first-rounders Levi Jones (a free agent) and George Foster (just cut by Cleveland), as well as former Green Bay tackle Mark Tauscher.

Jones and Tauscher are both reportedly recovered from knee problems and looking for starting positions. With plenty of teams looking for help on the line, they could be too pricey for the Seahawks, who have about $3 million in salary-cap space.

So the Hawks will have to keep their eyes open for other cuts who might fit. They switched a couple of backups Tuesday, cutting Grey Ruegamer and signing Brian De La Puente, a young guard/center from Kansas City.

If Walter Jones can come back quickly and effectively, it would be a huge boost. Locklear would move back to the right side. Although, if Unger and Willis are playing well, Locklear could find himself without a spot. Of course, that would be a nice problem to have at that point.

For now, the Seahawks have to hope that Locklear gets better, that Sims plays much better than he did in 2007, that Vallos continues to improve, that Unger gets up to speed right away, and that Willis stays healthy.

That’s not too much to ask, is it?

 

Other notes

• Deon Butler will not return kicks Saturday, Mora told KJR. Justin Forsett will take over those duties for at least this game, and Mora made it clear that Josh Wilson will do the honors once the season starts. Mora said he is impressed by Butler’s receiving skills and wants Butler to focus on playing his position.
• Mora also said the new rule limiting the blocking wedge on kickoffs to two men instead of the previous four has affected the Seahawks’ return game. He wants to see his team create better returns. Butler had averaged just 15.6 yards on five kickoff returns against San Diego and Denver.
• Apparently, Mora is a big fan of Nick Reed, too. The seventh-round defensive end has been a relentless terror in the first two games. He has 2.5 sacks, an interception and a blocked punt, and opposing teams have had to double-team him. Mora wants to see him against Kansas City’s first-team offense Saturday. But it sounds like Mora already has made up his mind about Reed, telling KJR: “I think he’ll be wearing a Seahawk uniform.”

 

Ex-Cardinal Edgerrin James is a motivated addition for Seattle Seahawks

Three years ago, the Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts both faced the same decision: What do we do with our franchise running back who is about to become a free agent?

Well, the Colts let Edgerrin James go to Arizona, and the Seahawks gave Shaun Alexander a $62 million contract to stay. James had a couple of good years for Arizona, and Alexander had a couple of bad ones for Seattle. But both were on the street this off-season, a couple of over-30 running backs no one wanted.

Until today.

There’s probably no question what Alexander thinks about the Seahawks signing James instead of bringing their former league MVP back. But it doesn’t matter what this means to the former Seahawk running back.

The important questions are: What does the addition of the 31-year-old mean to the current backs? And why did president Tim Ruskell feel he needed to sign James to a deal reportedly worth $2 million in 2009?

Assuming Julius Jones’ thigh injury isn’t more serious than a bruise and won’t keep him out for long, it’s likely that James is being brought in to bump T.J. Duckett as the Hawks’ short-yardage guy. Either way, James would be an upgrade over Duckett, who simply does not run as powerfully as his size would indicate. James has always been a tough inside runner and at 31, surely still has enough in the tank to spell Jones.

James spent the past three years in Arizona, but he was hardly used last season. After getting 92 carries in the first five games, he was barely seen for the next 10 weeks, getting just 28 touches. The Cardinals used him more in the playoffs, but it was a light year for him.

Then the Cardinals jerked him around this off-season. Rather than release him early so he could try to catch on with another team, the Cards held him until after they had secured Chris “Beanie” Wells in the first round of the draft.

So there’s the big bonus in this signing: James will be amped to play his former team twice, and show the Cardinals what a big mistake they made in benching him and then screwing him in free agency. It’s a pretty good guess that he’ll be on “edge” when he plays the Cardinals.

How about trading a kicker for some line help?

The James signing was a totally unexpected move by Ruskell, but the team president’s next move should be pretty obvious: acquiring some depth for the offensive line.

The news that center Chris Spencer is out for at least a month with a torn quadriceps means the Hawks are down to six healthy, experienced guys up front: LT Sean Locklear, LG Rob Sims, C Steve Vallos, C/RG Max Unger, RG Mansfield Wrotto and RT Ray Willis. Odds are Vallos will start at center and Unger at right guard, although it could be Unger/Wrotto. But the Hawks need some help ASAP.

Left tackle Walter Jones is expected to miss at least the first game, and Locklear and Willis have not been known for their constitution, so the Hawks could use a good backup (someone better than Kyle Williams).

This would be a good time to dangle kicker Brandon Coutu or Olindo Mare to any team that has a surplus of O-linemen.

Who would have thought the Seahawks would actually miss Pork Chop Womack, who now is Cleveland’s starting right guard?

Roster ramifications

With Jones and Spencer both injured but not going on IR, the Hawks will have to carry at least one more lineman for depth. Which means, they will have to make a cut elsewhere that they otherwise might not have made.

If they keep only one extra lineman, odds are it will come at the expense of the receiver position, where they will carry five instead of six.

If they keep two extra O-linemen, that would probably hurt Nick Reed’s chances of making the team as the Hawks probably would have to go with eight D-linemen.

Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scenes. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum — we’re Outside The Press Box.

Seattle Seahawks’ Pre-season Game 2: This Is Not Mike Holmgren’s Offense

Observations from the second pre-season game …

**This is not Mike Holmgren’s West Coast offense. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp is showing a lot of creativity and flexibility.

He obviously plans to use the shotgun extensively, and the Hawks showed a repertoire of trick plays, deep passes, and screen passes against Denver.

The end-around pass by Deion Branch didn’t work, but it showed that the Hawks will be aggressive on offense.

With his receivers being blanketed for most of the half, Knapp turned to the screen pass on the two-minute scoring drive at the end of the half.

And we didn’t even see Seneca Wallace on any trick plays. But once the season starts, we will. Oh, we will.

**T.J. Houshmandzadeh took a lot of heat for proclaiming that he and Matt Hasselbeck will have Pro Bowl years as they lead the Hawks to the playoffs. But it looks like they have a great shot at it.

They started hot vs. Denver, with two connections on the first drive. Then Hasselbeck couldn’t find many open guys until the last drive, when he hit Houshmandzadeh three times, including a 2-yard fade for the touchdown.

He had just missed Houshmandzadeh on a longer TD pass attempt two plays before that. 

**With Nate Burleson out, rookie Deon Butler started at receiver and looked very good. He caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck on a go route on the first drive.

He also made a nice catch on third down on another first-half drive. He looks very good as a receiver.

But he continues to show little as a return man. His first three kickoff returns went 15, 9 and 12 yards, all very unacceptable returns. Of course, it would help if he got some better blocking.

**The biggest problem on offense was the play of LT Sean Locklear. He had one false start and gave up two sacks to Kenny Peterson. He recently admitted that the transition from right tackle to left has been difficult, and it was apparent against Peterson.

Why do we have a feeling Locklear is not the LT of the future? With Walter Jones probably out for at least the first couple of games, Locklear has to get better. On top of that, the Hawks definitely need some depth at tackle.

Locklear always seems to miss time, so the Hawks have to find another guy who can back up Locklear and RT Ray Willis. The Hawks were interested in Levi Jones earlier this off-season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them sign him soon.

Also, center Chris Spencer got hurt again, leaving with a leg injury. The guy can’t stay healthy. Fortunately, Steve Vallos got a lot of experience last season, and there won’t be any drop-off if he’s in for Spencer.

**With Julius Jones out with a bruised thigh, T.J. Duckett and Justin Forsett got all of the first-team action. Forsett stood out for his work on the second touchdown drive, when he caught six passes for 54 yards, mostly on screen passes.

**Nick Reed continued his strong preseason, with a blocked punt in the third quarter that set the Hawks up at the Denver 29-yard line for a short touchdown drive. His hustle also resulted in a personal foul penalty in the fourth quarter after he went too low to QB Chris Simms.

But he was in on a sack shortly after that and added another sack later in the quarter (he knocked the ball out of QB Tom Brandstater’s hands, but Brandstater fell on the ball). That’s 2.5 sacks, an interception and a blocked punt in two games for Reed.

Based on his special-teams ability, he should easily beat out the unexciting Baraka Atkins for the ninth D-line position.

**The defense made Kyle Orton & Co. look good. The Broncos rolled up 208 yards in the first half and scored on their first two drives and drove from their 13 to Seattle’s 1 with three minutes left.

But the Hawks came up with the big stop, intercepting a fourth-down pass in the end zone to start Seattle’s go-ahead drive at the 20.

**Jon Ryan will be a huge weapon this season. He was a very nice find by president Tim Ruskell last year. The Packers cut Ryan after Week 1 of the 2008 season and the Hawks picked him up to replace Ryan Plackemeier.

Ryan went on to average 45.6 yards per punt. He’s booming them this pre-season, too. In the first game, he averaged 52.4 yards on eight kicks, including a 77-yarder. Against Denver, he averaged 50.8 yards on six kicks.

One side note: He probably should refrain from jumping into piles to help recover fumbles, as he did on a 57-yard punt in the third quarter.

**Brandon Coutu continues to get most of the action in the kicking battle, and it might be because the Seahawks are featuring him with the intent of trying to trade him.

Coutu kicked two field goals against Denver, from 22 and 52 yards. His kickoffs went to the 5, 11, 7 and 4. He is now 4-for-4 on field goals this pre-season.

Among the teams who might be interested in a kicker are Baltimore, Miami, and New Orleans. But would they be willing to give up a fourth- or fifth-round pick?

**Was that Bill Belichick Jr. on the Denver sideline? Josh McDaniels, Denver’s 33-year-old rookie coach, was wearing a hoody, apparently trying to channel his mentor.

Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scenes. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum—we’re Outside The Press Box.

Seattle Seahawks’ Preseason Game One: Punt, Hass, and Nick

Observations from the Seattle Seahawks’ first preseason game:

It was great to see Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback again. He completed 3 of 5 passes, but one of the incompletions was a third-down drop by tight end John Carlson.

Seneca Wallace fans will again bang the drum for him to start, simply because he threw a TD pass, but if Wallace really is better than Hasselbeck, why hasn’t he been starting for the past four years? You heard it here first: Hasselbeck will go to the Pro Bowl again, and the Seahawks will win the NFC West.

Punter Jon Ryan was awesome. All but one of his punts went at least 45 yards, and he boomed a 77-yarder from Seattle’s 23-yard line with two minutes left in the game. He averaged 52.4 yards on eight kicks, with a stellar net of 41.1.

Not sure why the Packers let this guy go last year, but the three-year veteran is the best punter the Hawks have had since Jeff Feagles left in 2003.

Rookie defensive end Nick Reed, a seventh-round pick, acquitted himself well in his first NFL game. He had a sack and an interception while playing with the reserves. The guy was all over the field and might have put himself in the picture if the Hawks plan to keep nine D-linemen.

New defensive starters Cory Redding and Colin Cole made their presence known early. Redding had a sack on the first play of the game, and Cole was very active throughout his first-quarter appearance.

Safety Deon Grant was very involved as well. He shadowed Pro Bowl TE Antonio Gates all over the place. Gates caught two, including one for a first down. But Grant was always right there and blanketed Gates on an incomplete deep sideline pass on third down.

Linebacker Leroy Hill was all over the place, tracking down the Chargers’ speedy running backs or covering Gates downfield. First-round linebacker Aaron Curry didn’t make much of an impact. He had two tackles, and his speed was on display in one of them as he chased a receiver out of bounds after a 14-yard gain.

The first-team O-line, which was without LT Walter Jones, held up pretty well in its new configuration. The left side, with Sean Locklear at left tackle and Rob Sims at left guard, seemed to be more effective against the Chargers’ starting defense.

Fullback Owen Schmitt looked fine. He hit a key block on Julius Jones’ first run, an eight-yard gain. Word had been that Justin Griffith had outplayed him in practice, but Schmitt seemed to play well against the Chargers.

Nate Burleson is back. Eleven months after tearing his ACL, he caught a ball from Hasselbeck and looked healthy.

With the injury issues the Hawks had at receiver last season, they will probably be safe and keep six this year. And it will be quite a battle for the final two spots behind T.J. Houshmandazdeh, Deion Branch, Burleson, and rookie third-round pick Deon Butler. Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu, and Logan Payne got the most action among reserves Saturday.

Taylor had two good catches for first downs on a second-quarter touchdown drive. Obomanu caught two, including a 24-yarder early in the third quarter. Mike Hass caught an 18-yard TD pass from Mike Teel.

Butler didn’t show much in his return chances. He returned two punts and one kickoff for a total of 11 yards. Pretty bad numbers for a guy who was touted for his return ability.

As for receiving, he caught two for seven yards and was blasted just as he was about to haul in another in the second quarter. He looks like a natural receiver who catches the ball with his hands easily.

It will be interesting to see what he can do with a few more chances both as a receiver and return man (Butler might play better if he were wearing a real WR number. He should switch back to No. 85 or pick 88, which also is available).

Cornerback Kelly Jennings may be a good guy and a hard worker, but he just can’t make plays. He’s too small, often gets knocked aside and, even though he’s often in position, he never seems to make a play on the ball. The 2006 first-round pick is as good as he’s going to get, and that’s just not good enough.

Michael Vick Will Learn from One of the Best, Donovan McNabb

Although it was a bit of a surprise to see Michael Vick sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, they are probably one of the best options for a quarterback who is trying to make his way back into the NFL after two years in prison.

The Eagles have the luxury of bringing in a guy who may or may not perform because they are built to win now and don’t really need the guy. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Donovan McNabb, and he won’t bat an eye at the signing of Vick.

Instead, McNabb, one of the league’s most respected players , (well, outside the city where he plays) will serve as a mentor to a fellow black quarterback. It’s a smart pairing by the Eagles and Vick’s agent, Joel Segal.

Vick can learn from McNabb while he re-acclimates to the NFL, with no pressure of having to be the leader of a team. McNabb is the leader of the Eagles, and nothing will change that in the next two years. Meanwhile, for a year at least, Vick has a chance to make himself a better person by emulating McNabb.

The Eagles are already stacked on offense, with Brian Westbrook and rookie LeSean McCoy at running back and DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown at receiver. They don’t need Vick, but if he is able to integrate into their offense, he could contribute at some point.

At this point, no team should expect Vick to play quarterback for them on a regular basis. He has been out of the league for two years and is not familiar with any system. So the Eagles likely will bring him along slowly and, assuming he has not lost any of the athleticism that made him what he was before, find ways to utilize him within their West Coast scheme.

Vick probably won’t have a big role for the Eagles early in the season, but he might help out in the second half. Reid is an imaginative play caller, and he probably will find creative ways to use Vick while not taking his best offensive player—McNabb—off the field.

That should serve as the best possible way for Vick to rejoin the league with as little pressure as possible, taking advantage of a team that has a Pro Bowl quarterback and a mostly veteran roster.

The Eagles really risk nothing in this move. And coach Andy Reid might be able to identify with Vick due to the fact that both of Reid’s sons have been convicted of drug-related felonies. Reid’s oldest son is still in prison. Perhaps Reid learned a lesson from that and will be able to help McNabb mentor Vick. And then perhaps Vick can help Reid’s boys turn their lives around as well.

Of course, the flip-side argument goes like this: If Andy Reid couldn’t even raise his kids right, how can he be expected to have any kind of positive personal influence on Vick? Well, if he can’t, that’s what McNabb is for.

One of the big factors for a lot of teams in deciding whether to pursue Vick was the public relations backlash that might ensue. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie obviously is not concerned about that, and why should he be? After all, Philadelphia is a blue-collar town known as the City of Brotherly Love, not the City of Dog Lovers. Eagles fans don’t even have compassion for people; why the hell would they care about animals?

Yes, PETA is based not far away in Virginia. But Vick has made peace with that organization and has been making appearances for the Humane Society. So if PETA doesn’t make any noise, no one in Philly will.

In the end, the Eagles simply have provided Vick a way to get back into the league. Commissioner Roger Goodell could make him eligible to play in games any time before Week 6, and the Eagles probably got assurances that, as long as Vick doesn’t do anything stupid, he will be eligible. Otherwise, the Eagles would not have invested $1.6 million in Vick.

Of course, it certainly won’t be long before Eagles fans are chanting for Vick to replace McNabb. That’s why Vick should be a good fit in Philly, the blue collar city whose fans don’t care what you did yesterday, just what you’re going to do today.

Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scene. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum — we’re Outside The Press Box.

$34 Million Guaranteed for Aaron Curry Was Simply Market Value

Heading into the draft in April, Aaron Curry was considered by many to be the surest pick of all—the no-brainer, all-around-nice-guy, do-everything linebacker who could help anchor a team’s defense for a decade.

And when the Seattle Seahawks were able to get him with the fourth pick, they had to feel very fortunate. Of course, they knew it would cost them a fortune to sign him, and that’s apparently what they paid, as Curry reportedly signed a six-year deal today that could be worth $60 million and will guarantee him $34 million.

As rich as the deal is, though, it’s simply market value.

The market was set after Kansas City signed defensive end Tyson Jackson, the third pick, to a five-year deal with $31 million guaranteed. The New York Jets had previously signed quarterback Mark Sanchez, picked fifth overall, to a five-year deal guaranteeing him $28 million.

While the $34 million guaranteed is more than Jackson got and also more than the $33 million that No. 2 pick Jason Smith received from St. Louis, the Seahawks had to pay that much to get the sixth year in the deal.

The best way to compare the guaranteed money is to break it down by year. Smith, who signed a five-year deal, gets an average of $6.6 million per year. Jackson’s deal guarantees $6.2 million. Sanchez gets $5.4 million. And Curry fits right where he should at about $5.7 million per year.

Of course, he might be able to void that sixth year. But that surely would cost him some of the guaranteed money.

Curry’s total package matches what the Oakland Raiders gave Darren McFadden last year after picking him fourth overall. But Curry’s guaranteed money is $8 million more than the Raiders gave their running back. In fact, Curry’s guaranteed money is the most ever for a rookie who didn’t play quarterback. It matches what Atlanta gave QB Matt Ryan after drafting him third last year and is second only to the $42 million Detroit guaranteed No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford this year.

Not that Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu have anything to complain about, but you have to wonder what those two linebackers think about their new third wheel getting more money than they recently did.

This offseason, Hill signed a six-year deal reportedly worth $38 million—a total that is barely more than the guaranteed portion of Curry’s deal. In 2008, Tatupu signed an eight-year deal worth $42 million, with “only” $18 million guaranteed.

The Seahawks were backed into a corner thanks to their horrible 2008 season, and $34 million was the price they had to pay for drafting fourth overall. In the end, they got Curry for the amount the market required.

The Seahawks could find themselves in a similar spot next year if the Denver Broncos do as poorly as expected. If they’re lucky, there will be a new collective-bargaining agreement by then, and it will include a whole new section regulating rookie contracts.

What We Know After One Week of Seattle Seahawks Camp

The Seattle Seahawks are one week into training camp, and the top storylines so far have been the absence of unsigned first-round pick Aaron Curry, the back injury that put cornerback Marcus Trufant on the PUP, the injury release of left guard Mike Wahle and the resulting new O-line configuration, and the switch of Patrick Kerney from left end to right end.

Here’s what we have learned on all of those fronts:

Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have signed defensive lineman Tyson Jackson, the third pick in the draft, the Seahawks should soon strike a deal with Curry, the fourth pick and the man expected to replace Julian Peterson.

Jackson’s deal reportedly is worth $57 million over five years, with $31 million guaranteed. The fifth pick, quarterback Mark Sanchez, received a five-year contract with $28 million guaranteed. So Curry has been slotted, and—as expected—it looks like he’ll end up with right around $30 million guaranteed, probably in a five-year pact.

Once the linebacker gets in, he’ll be given no quarter by coach Jim Mora.

“Every day you get a little bit more concerned,” Mora said of the missed time in an interview with KJR radio last weekend. “But he had a good offseason. He’s smart. He picks things up well. He’s kind of an instinctive player. It will help him.

“But I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you, sure there’s a concern. How are we going to catch him up to the point he can be an effective player?

“Like I’ve told Aaron many, many times, ‘You’re not a rookie. You can’t make rookie mistakes. Not for us to be the kind of defense we want to be on the kind of team we want to have. We can’t have, ‘Ah, he’s a rookie. He’ll get it next time.’ That is not acceptable. You were highly drafted. You’re going to be well paid. We have huge expectations for you. And dang it, you’re going to meet them. And that’s end of discussion.’ ”

Injuries are still part of the discussion, though, particularly with Trufant on the PUP list with a back problem, prompting the team to sign Travis Fisher. Jones and Deion Branch also have missed practices to rest their surgically repaired knees. And now center Chris Spencer has an ankle injury.

But quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is healthy, and receiver Nate Burleson seems on track to return from the ACL injury that cost him 15 games in 2008.

One injured player didn’t even make it to camp as Wahle failed his physical and was released.

At this point, the coaches are running Rob Sims as the starting left guard, where he was in 2006 and 2007. And they might even consider moving Sean Locklear to right guard so Ray Willis can play right tackle.

Mora said the line could end up being, from left to right, Jones, Sims, Spencer, Locklear, Willis. Of course, that is dependent on Jones being healthy and Locklear not having to play left tackle. But second-round pick Max Unger surely figures in somewhere.

“I feel confident, between (offensive coordinator) Greg Knapp and (line coach) Mike Solari, they’ll get those pieces in the right place by the time we kick it off,” Mora told KJR. “We’ll see once we get into preseason how those guys meld together.”

One thing that has become clear is that the new coaches plan to use players to their best effect. The coaches talk about being “multiple,” which really means “diverse.” They want all of their linemen to be able to play multiple positions, which is why they drafted Unger, who can play center and guard, and traded for DE/DT Cory Redding.

One of the big moves the team has made is to switch Kerney from left end to right to help protect him from wearing down, especially as he comes back from a shoulder injury. Redding is challenging Lawrence Jackson at left end.

“Bringing [Redding] in, we were able to move Pat to right end, where he’ll take less of a pounding,” Mora told KJR, explaining that teams tend to be right-handed and use the tight end to keep the left end away from the quarterback. “That [the move] will help Pat durability-wise.”

As for that other big question, president Tim Ruskell promised the team won’t keep two kickers this season like the Hawks did last year. Either Olindo Mare or Brandon Coutu will win the job.

“It won’t happen again this year,” Ruskell told reporters before camp started. “We’ll go with one guy and it’ll be a nice battle to watch. They’ve both done well so far. Part of the reason for holding on to him [Coutu] last year is that we were getting interest from other teams … It [a trade] just didn’t happen. And then, with the injuries, we had enough room to keep him and it didn’t hurt us. So we just kept him, and said, ‘OK, we’ll have this competition go for another year.’

“He’s a good kicker. He was 7 for 7 last year in the preseason. Teams noticed. There was a lot of chatter. Nothing really manifested itself in terms of a trade, but we’re still getting calls on the guy. So he’s either going to be our kicker or we’ll make a move, but we’re not going to have two kickers this year. I’m going to go on record and say that.”

Basically, expect the Seahawks to come out of camp with another 2010 draft pick in hand.

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