The Seattle Seahawks, in an effort to replace former NFL MVP and rushing champion Shaun Alexander, brought in veteran running backs T.J. Duckett and Julius Jones. Combinine the return of backup Maurice Morris with those acquisitions, and it's not difficult to determine thhat the Seahawks' running game should be improved over 2007. Julius Jones is slated to be the starting RB, and his soft hands will be crucial for Hasselbeck out of the backfield. Duckett is the bruiser, and he will likely see ample carries in the red zone.
Pro-Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who threw for a career high 3,966 yards in 2007 on other career highs of 352 completions out of 562 attempts, will not have to shoulder as much of the burden in 2008, which is good, considering the departure of D.J. Hackeet, the injury to Deion Branch (slated to return at roughly mid-season) and the slew of young and inexperienced wideoouts on Seattle's roster. Hasselbeck will have to be smarter than ever, and he will be forced to really pick his spots with the relative inexperience of his pass-catchers.
The wide receiving corps is thin, and dangerously so. Veteran Bobby Engram is coming off his best season as a professional, but is 35 years old - his consistency is a big key to the offensive success in 2008, perhaps even moreso than last season. Nate Burleson is the only other returning wideout with more than negligible experience, and he will be starting opposite Engram in week 1. The injuries to Deion Branch are becomeing severly troublesome - Seattle didn't give up draft picks for a guy that can't stay healthy; they gave them up for the Super Bowl MVP, and he has been anything but mediocre since his arrival. Seneca Wallace is the "wild card" in this group - an athlete of his caliber must be utilized, and he has shown in the past that he can be extremely explosive. Wallace may end up being more valuable to Seattle as a 4th WR than as a backup quarterback, although a complete transition to that position is unlikely, as Charlie Frye sits third in the Hawks' QB depth chart.
Will Heller and rookie John Carlson will see the lion's share of playing time at tight end, and while Heller's experience is limited, he picked up 3 TDs on just 13 receptions in 2007 - it seems he has a bit of a nose for the end zone, which is only going to benefit Hasselbeck in the red zone. Carlson, a Notre Dame product, will be battling with newly-acquired Jeb Putzier for the 2nd string role. Depth is not an issue here, as all three are young, strong, and can catch the ball rather well - experience may be this group's downfall, especially in the West Coast offense, which is designed to rely heavily on the tight end position. Couple that with the relative inexperience behind Engram and Burleson at WR, and the TE position becomes that much more critical.
The offensive line, however, is where all the magic begins. Walter Jones, the future Hall Of Fame left tackle, returns for his 12th season. Newly-acquired Mike Wahle sits at #1 on the deoth chart at LG... with NO ONE behind him - if Seattle is to run the ball effectively, Wahle must remain healthy. Sims and Locklear are the anchors to the right side of the line, and Chris Spencer will get the nod at center. If Jones has just an "average" season, Wahle performs as expected and stays healthy, and the right side can be at least somewhat productive and get a good push on short-yardage plays, the O-line will be well-improved over 2006 and 2007.
Defensively, there is no arguing that Seattle is one of the best all-around. Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson, Patrick Kerney and Marcus Trufant anchor an explosive and intimidating defense. They role players - LeRoy Hill, Rocky Bernard, Deion Grant, Brian Russell, Kelly Jennings, Darryl Tapp and Brandon Mebane - must fulfill their duties with efficiency in order to continue to defensive excellence Hawks' fans have witnessed for the past few years. At this point, considering the depth at DT and LB, specifically, Seattle is very good up the middle. Run-stopping was a weakness in 2007, and it must improve in order to be the truly dominant squad that pundits are predicting.
All in all, Seattle is an improved team over 2007, both defensively and offensively. Wide receiver and tight end issues may come up on the offensive side; defensive run-stopping may be a problem. However, the defense is returning 11 starters, and the continued development of Darryl Tapp and Brandon Mebane should help provide better consistency against opponents' ground games.
Pretty good recap. The D-line will be improved against the run with the addition of D. Tripplet, and Red Bryant. Craig Terrell should add depth here too. Ohhh, there is also the possiblity that Marcus Tubbs will return to 2005 form. Returning 11 starters on defense is a big deal too, and should add to their conhesiveness.
The D-line is my biggest concern on the defensive side.
Tubbs returning to his earlier form would be a tremendous development for this squad. Red Bryant might very well be able to contribute, but he's going to have to bust tail to get into the games. To me, Trip is the question mark. I like that they picked him up, but where does he fit in?
Run-stopping should be improved, which is a big key for success, especially in the NFC West (Gore and Jackson are good backs).
I sort of agree with you....Seattle will be better....not good enough to get by any of the better teams in the NFC but better....yeah they should improve.....Now for the important question, do you seriously think that Hasselback can lead this team anywhere? Tell which of his playoff performances give you that sense of confidence? I see this team getting into the playoffs due to another weak field of NFC teams and then exiting like they usually do....better yes....good? No way.
Thats if either the pack or the 'boys will win their division. I just don't see it happening. The Vikes will own the North, and the East will canibialize itself with Philly comming out on top (if McNabb stays healthy). We sand a good chance to win the NFC.
Cammatt Hasselbeck is a top 5 QB in the league in case no one has told you. Judging by the fact you can't correctly spell his name I know you don't know what you are speaking of so I will just ignore you.
Other than Dallas, what team in the NFC is better than Seattle?
Green Bay is nothing without #4. Minnesota might have the best young RB in the NFC, but they can't count on their quarterback. New York lost their best and longest-tenured defensive lineman in Strahan, and Eli Manning is the epitome of inconsistency. The NFC South looks like a complete disaster - 8 wins could very well win that division, and none of the teams in it that are worth spit (TB, CAR, NO) can hang the Hawks for more than 2 quarters.
I see Dallas as the pre-season favorite to win the NFC championship, and Seattle is #2. After that, it's a myriad of teams battling it out to be #3 - NYG, PHI, MIN and GB.
I'm just your average sports nut, I suppose. Of course I'm a bit of a homer - the Mariners, Seahawks, and Huskies are my teams - but I stick with my boys down the stretch, through thick and thin.
What can the Mariners do to rebound from their worst season in twent years? Will Erik Bedard recover in time for the 2009 season? Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow look to make the transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, so can they combine with Felix to create a young and effective 1-2-3 tandem? How will the M's new front office guru fare - will Chuckie and Howie be able to stay "hands off" long enough for the new VP/GM to accomplish anything positive? Can the Seahawks recover from their early-season woes and rebound for a fifth straight NFC West title? How will the team handle the transition from Mike Holmgren's regime to the ways of Jim Mora Jr? Can the Hawks' defense stop anyone? Can the offense put up more than 200 yards?
Any of you folks out there interested in healthy and creative debate about anything, feel free to speak up!
