Seattle Seahawks Pursuing QB Jeff Garcia?

Yesterday amongst the 704 cuts there were some bigger names than others. Brian Russell, Alex Smith (TE), A.J Feely, Tony Pashos, Zach Thomas, and Jeff Garcia.

One player on that list really jumped out at me and that was quarterback Jeff Garcia who was released by the Oakland Raiders, go figure.

Garcia was in a “quarterback battle” with JaMarcus Russell but really was projected to be the second quarterback for the Raiders.

Well as it turns out he will be neither the starter nor backup. He’s now an unrestricted free agent.

Right away I thought of the idea of having Jeff Garcia with the Seahawks making perfect sense.

Now there will be a lot of fans in Seahawks Nation who will say that Seneca Wallace is our backup and a great backup quarterback for the Seahawks.

Some might even say that Seneca gives Seattle a better chance to win over Matt Hasselbeck (yes I have had someone say that to me).

But in all reality Jeff Garcia is the best backup quarterback there is in the NFL. Seneca Wallace is an above average backup but he’s not a pocket quarterback nor does he have as good of an arm that Garcia does.

Let’s compare Seneca Wallace and Jeff Garcia.

Jeff Garcia:

Garcia is a prove winner who gives you tons of experience in the playoffs and also as just a starting quarterback.

Garcia can be considered a starting quarterback from week one but Seneca Wallace would have to hope that Hasselbeck gets injured to play.

Last season even Charlie Frye started a game over Seneca Wallace and you could make the case for Charlie Frye as the worst quarterback in the NFL.

Also Jeff Garcia would fit great in the Seahawks new offense with the running game opening up the passing game.

Garcia is an older version of Matt Hasselbeck. Neither have a super bowl ring, both a great quarterbacks and both have a lot of experience.

Seneca Wallace:

People need to stop calling Wallace the Seahawks version of Michael Vick because Wallace has a ways to go to get to where Vick is.

Seneca is a good quarterback, a good backup, good on the move but is not even close to being a pocket quarterback in the NFL.

Wallace’s size doesn’t help him either.

Last season Wallace tied the most amount of games he’s played in a season, ten games.

In those 10 games he led the Seahawks to three wins.

I would bet if you put Jeff Garcia under center with those ten games he would have won at least six of those 10.

So who comes out the winner? Jeff Garcia.

Now why would it make sense for the Seahawks to sign Jeff Garcia? Well one thing would have to happen first.

The Seahawks would trade Seneca Wallace and probably could get a second or third round pick back.

Then Garcia would be able to learn from weeks one through three and then if Hasselbeck went down with an injury Garcia would already know the offense so there wouldn’t be any problem.

Plus it would go with what the Seahawks are doing. Bringing in old vets for one-year contracts, ala Edgerrin James, Lawyer Milloy, and Travis Fisher.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Seahawks make a move on Jeff Garcia.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Seahawks Update: Seahawks 09 Draft Class is Safe

RENTON—The Seahawks have until 3 P.M. PST to make their final 22 cuts in order to get down to the NFL required 53 man roster.

According to SI.com’s Peter King the Seattle Seahawks will keep all seven of their 2009 NFL Draft class. However that does not include the undrafted free agents. This just includes the drafted players.

That would be Aaron Curry, Max Unger, Deon Butler, Mike Teel, Courtney Greene, Nick Reed and Cameron Morrah.

So what does this mean in the big picture?

Well Curry, we all know has been the starting OLB for the Seahawks since he was drafted. Max Unger, will now officially start over Mansfield Wrotto at RG. Deon Butler will now become the fourth wide receiver.

Teel is the Seahawks third quarterback. Greene is now a backup to either Brian Russell or Deon Grant. Reed is now the second or third string defensive end on either side. Cameron Morrah is the Seahawks third tight end.

Now what does that mean for other roster players that were on the bubble?

Deion Branch, from the words of Tim Ruskell, is not going to be released at all. Fourth string QB Jeff Rowe now is the odd man out in the quarterback depth chart. Butler’s status is unchanged because he’s always been the fourth wide receiver.

Now, Courtney Greene now looks to take the place of free safety C.J Wallace which would spell the end for Wallace in Seattle.

Nick Reed looks to have possibly bumped defensive end Baraka Atkins out of the Seahawks defensive line.

Cameron Morrah becomes the third and final tight end for the Seahawks which means Joe Newton did not make the team. 

More updates to follow.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Seahawks Thursday: Rookies, Backups Lead Seattle to 31-21 Win

Jim Mora is now 4-0 as the Seattle Seahawks head coach. 4-0 in his first preseason as the Seahawks head coach, and that’s history.

Jim Mora Jr. is the first Seahawks head coach to go undefeated in the preseason.

A new head coach, no matter if he’s already been on the coaching staff always looks to put their stamp on the team right away and Jim Mora Jr. has definitely done that in the preseason.

Now due to the fact that this was the fourth and final preseason game before the Seahawks week one game at home against the St Louis Rams the Seahawks had most of their starters not even play.

Only Matt Hasselbeck (one drive) and Sean Locklear started the game.

A few other players who are starters but rookies played more than they usually would. Those being Aaron Curry, Deon Butler, and Max Unger (starting RG).

This game, as Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell put it will feature players that are still trying to make the team or better themselves on their current standings.

A few game notes before the recap.

1) Nick Reed got the start at DE. 

2) Edgerrin James started.

3) This game was going to be the deciding factor in the kicking battle. Coutu Vs. Mare

Now let’s see how the Seahawks essential rookies and backups faired as we recap the game.

First quarter:

SEA- 22 yard touchdown pass from Mike Teel to Deon Butler. Four plays. 52 yards and 1:30 TOP.

OAK- 45 yard touchdown run by Lewis Rankin. Two plays. 54 yards and 1:05 TO.

Second quarter:

SEA- 38 yard touchdown pass from Mike Teel to Ben Obomanu. One play. 38 yards and 0:07 TOP.

SEA- 24 yard field goal by Olindo Mare.

Third quarter:

SEA-1 yard touchdown run by Devin Moore. 13 plays. 92 yard and 5:47 TOP.

SEA- 44 yard touchdown pass from Jeff Rowe to Logan Payne. Five plays. 75 yards and 2:25 TOP.

Fourth quarter:

OAK- 6 yard touchdown run by Gary Russell. Seven plays. 86 yards and 3:42 TOP.

OAK- 2 yard touchdown run by Gary Russell. Four plays. 64 yards and 1:34 TOP.

The final score at Qwest field. Seahawks 31-Raiders 21.

Well a little bit closer at the end than originally thought but still a 10 point margin none the less for the Seahawks to pick up their fourth and final win in the 2009 preseason.

With this win the Seahawks under first year head coach Jim Mora Jr. go undefeated in the preseason and in well deserving as well.

Let’s take a look at some key performers for the game tonight.

QB Mike Teel- 11/19, 148 yards and 2 touchdown passes with zero interceptions.

RB Devin Moore- 22 carries, 75 yards and one touchdown.

WR Logan Payne- 2 receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown reception.

WR Deon Butler- 2 receptions for 45 yards and one touchdown reception.

WR Ben Obomanu- 2 receptions for 58 yards and one touchdown reception.

LB Aaron Curry- 4 tackles 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

DE Nick Reed- 5 tackles 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

Well it’s backups that are very key in the NFL because everyone knows it only takes one second for a key injury to happen at a key position and all of a sudden the backups you picked in the preseason now have to step in for the regular season.

I think Jim Mora Jr. can look at tonight’s game as well as the other three games and easily pick is 53-man roster and a few practice squad players.

Nick Reed this preseason have been better than perfect. Reed, a seventh round pick out of Oregon did not get much credit for his great college success but the Seahawks loved him as a football player even though of his size.

Reed has been the steal of the draft if you use the preseason as a tool. I don’t think you could give me another player in the entire NFL draft that has performed better than Nick Reed in the seventh round.

Reed is probably better than most third round picks by the way he’s played in the preseason.

Aaron Curry, the Seahawks fourth overall pick has not played much this preseason due to his contract holdout which forced him to take longer to learn the playbook as well as injuries which forced him out of the Broncos and Chiefs games.

But tonight Curry showed why everyone said he was the best player coming out of the NFL draft as well as the best NFL ready player coming out of the draft.

Curry, it seemed was in on almost every single play and on one occasion was unblocked which allowed him to force a fumble on quarterback Charlie Frye which was recovered by of course, DE Nick Reed.

Tonight a lot of players earned their roster spots and a lot of players lost their spots or did not claim one entirely.

So with a great, outstanding performance from all of the backups that were in the game with the exception of Aaron Curry and Max Unger who are going to be locked starters all played a great game.

The final score in Seattle. Seahawks 31 and the Raiders 21.

NOTE: A bonus in the Seahawks recap. I’m going to name my 22 cuts for the Seattle Seahawks.

I will personally guarantee that Deion Branch is not on this list nor will he be cut because if he was on the bubble he would have played a lot more tonight.

So let’s get it going.

Offense:

QB Jeff Rowe

RB Devin Moore (practice squad)

FB David Kirtman

FB Tyler Roehl

WR Mike Hass

WR Jordan Kent (left game with ankle injury)

WR Courtney Taylor

TE Cameron Morrah (practice squad)

OT Andre Ramsey

OT Na’Shan Goddard

C Cory Withrow

OT William Robinson

Defense:

DE Baraka Atkins

DT Derek Walker

DT Red Bryant (practice squad)

SS Courtney Greene (practice squad)

LB Lance Laury

LB Dave Philistin

CB Travis Fisher

FS C.J Wallace (practice squad)

K Olindo Mare

CB Marquis Floyd

That leaves the final 53 and here is how I see the roster being broken down in order from starter to third/fourth/fifth/sixth string depending on the position.

QB: Hasselbeck, Wallace and Teel

RB: Jones, James and Forsett

FB: Griffith and Schmitt

WR’s: Houshmandzadeh, Burleson, Branch, Butler, Payne and Obomanu

TE’s: Carlson, Owens and Newton

LT: Locklear and Jones (until Walter Jones comes back)

LG: Sims and De La Puente

C: Vallos and Spencer (till he comes back then he starts)

RG: Unger and Wrotto

RT: Willis and Kyle Willams

LE: Redding and Jackson

DT: Mebane and Terrill

DT: Cole and Bennett

RE: Kerney, Tapp and Reed

OLB: Hill and Herring

MLB: Tatupu and Hawthorne

OLB: Curry and Herring

CB: Lucas and Hobbs (Trufant I have on the 53 man roster counted)

FS: Russell and Adams

SS: Grant and Babineaux

CB: Wilson and Jennings

P: Ryan

K: Coutu

LS: Houser

That is how I project the roster to look like and those are my 22 cuts.

It will be an interesting 48 hours.

Hasselbeck On A Mission To Prove He Still Belongs.

The Seahawks starting quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck, now entering his 11th year in the NFL, two in Green Bay and nine in Seattle, still has a lot to prove to his critics, and most importantly, himself.

It was close to nine years ago when Seahawks Head Coach, Mike Holmgren, brought him from Green Bay. Holmgren was in Green Bay with Hasselbeck, and when he came to Seattle he knew he had his quarterback in Hasselbeck.

Nine years later, Hasselbeck is considered one of the top five or ten quarterbacks in the NFL.

However, Hasselbeck has really fallen out of that elite list the last three years with injuries.

In 2007, the one year when Hasselbeck did not miss a single game, he had his best year in the NFL making the Pro Bowl and leading the ‘Hawks to the playoffs. 

That season he posted 28 touchdown passes, 3966 yards, and only 12 INT’s in 16 games. He reached career marks in TD passes and passing yardage that season.The other two years, he missed four games in 2006 and nine games in 2008, both times the Seahawks finished with nine wins or less.

In 2006, the Seahawks finished 9-7 and won the NFC West. In 2008, the Seahawks finished 4-12 and picked fourth overall in the 2009 NFL draft.

So the message those statistics clearly show, is that when Hasselbeck is the starting quarterback, the Seahawks are a top flight team. When he’s not the starter, the Seahawks are average at best.

In his 11 seasons in the NFL, Hasselbeck has three Pro Bowl appearances (03,05 and 07). He only has one Super Bowl appearance in which the Seahawks lost to the Steelers 20-10.

There are mixed feelings with what went on during the Super Bowl, but in nine years, he’s made one Super Bowl appearance. He’s a great regular season QB, but when it comes playoff time, he needs all the support he can get. 

This off-season, was probably one the most pressure packed for Hasselbeck with rumors that the Seahawks were pursuing Jay Cutler, as well as rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez.

However, Jim Mora Jr decided to give him the most dependable wide receiver in the NFL, and one of the must underrated and undervalued in TJ Houshmandzadeh.

This preseason, that looks to be the biggest and smartest move out of any this entire off season; because in three games Matt Hasselbeck has four touchdown passes.

Two of those four have been to, you guessed it, TJ Houshmandzadeh. The other two have been to John Carlson and Deon Butler.

Now this off-season, even though head coach Jim Mora Jr gave Hasselbeck a boost by telling him that he’s the quarterback in Seattle,the Seahawks acquired the Denver Broncos first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

That pick is looking more and more like a top three pick, with quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Jevan Sneed being the top three quarterbacks in that order most likely entering the draft.

If Hasselbeck has another season like he did last season, he’s going to be either traded, retire or be the one holding the clip board.

On ESPN’s NFL Live, Mark Schlereth picked Matt Hasselbeck as the NFC West breakout player; as well as the NFC West player on the hot seat with my exact same reasoning.

If Hasselbeck doesnt lead the Seahawks to at least a 10-6 record, and lead them back to the playoffs, then he’s most likely played his last season in the NFL; and with the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft ,the Seattle Seahawks will select Sam Bradford, quarterback, from Oklahoma.

So with the season a few weeks away, we’ll see if Matt Hasselbeck can return to prominence; even with a shaky offensive line protecting him.

Deion Branch on the Trading Block?

Much has been said recently about Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch and whether or not he will be released by season’s start.

A few days ago the Tacoma News Tribune came out with what I’m calling an opinion article by saying that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch is “on the bubble.”

Since then there have been numerous reports and articles that have come out saying Deion Branch being released? Or If Deion Branch is cut (your team here) should pick him up.

The only problem is that now people are making it out to be an actual rumor that the Seahawks will cut wide receiver Deion Branch, mainly for salary cap reasons. The other being how well rookie wide receiver Deon Butler has played this preseason.

Now the reports of the Seahawks releasing Deion Branch are not true the idea that they should part with him is not that bad of an idea.

Now the only way to part with him and get something back is to trade him. Branch is slated to make $5 million this season and still is a very talented wide receiver.

However, with the addition of TJ Houshmandzadeh and Deon Butler, added to Nate Burleson and John Carlson, who is one of the top 10 tight ends in the NFL right now, there is just not room for Branch anymore.

Now which teams could the Seahawks target as a trade partner for Deion? Well you have to look at teams that are contending or at least are aiming to contend. Also they have to have a need at wide receiver.

So which teams fit the bill?

The Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, and maybe a wild card team.

Look at each of those teams. The Ravens don’t know 100 percent about Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton is currently listed as questionable. So the Ravens could look to add another quick strike wide receiver like Branch to support second year quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Jets have rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. What’s the most important thing that a font office needs to do to help a rookie quarterback? Give him some weapons. Outside of Jerricho Cotchery the Jets don’t have that big play wide receiver.

The Titans are a running team but you can’t get to the super bowl with just a running back and your defense. The Vikings showed us that. So adding Branch would be a nice addition for Vince Young.

The Chicago Bears…My lord. Watching the Bears-Broncos game I saw something that did not look good. Jay Cutler can only throw to his tight end or running back. The Bears have tried to make Devin Hester a wide receiver.

Yeah, Hester would make a great slot wide receiver but not a No. 1. The Bears need to give Cutler a true No. 1 wide receiver.

Now with all four of those teams and possibly a wild card team say maybe the Giants you have to look at see what would Seattle want in return for Branch.

The Seahawks gave up a first round pick, they won’t get a first round pick back in return however.

However, a second round pick would be a fair return in exchange for Branch. So let’s look from the Seahawks point of view, which team would have the highest second round pick overall wise.

The Titans, NO. The Ravens, NO. The NY Jets maybe, and the Chicago Bears maybe.

If the Seahawks had to chose between the Jets and the Bears it would most likely lean towards the Jets just because of the division they play in.

So the Seahawks, if they do decide to part ways with wide receiver Deion Branch would look to trade him to one of those four teams in exchange for a second round pick.

Here are Deion Branch’s stats from the 2008 season in which he missed eight games.

Thirty receptions for 412 yards and four touchdown receptions (two against New England and two against Arizona).

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