SEAHAWKS: You must be this tall to cover this WR

No. 11 runs all over the 5-11 and
shorter crowd.

In the last article, I showed that cornerbacks 6-0 and taller were much more successful holding Larry Fitzgerald to pedestrian numbers than their shorter brethren.

Although they may be faster and have all the tricks a taller CB might have, the 5-11 and under crowd let Fitzgerald run all over them.

This time, I’ll take a look at all of the less fortunate CBs who’s physical attributes put them at a severe disadvantage to bigger and stronger WRs such as Fitzgerald.

To Continue...

Analyzing the tape: 5-11 and shorter

Against 5-11 guys, Fitzgerald hauled in several jump ball touchdowns, but was also able to use his big body and athleticism to run quick slants or crosses for gimme receptions. Shorter players who were physical against Fitzgerald didn’t stand a chance, such as Eagles CB Joselio Hansen, who tried to jam Fitzgerald at the line only to be out-muscled and burned for a touchdown as Fitzgerald pushed him backwards then slanted in.

In the same game, CB Lito Shephard gave Fitzgerald a try when the Cardinals were seven yards from the end zone. He knew the short cross was coming, and even tried to cut him off, but Fitzgerald shielded him with his body, caught the ball, and shed Shephard off his back like snake skin. Warner recognized the man coverage and there was no way Shephard could defend it as they blitzed both safeties.



Moral? Never leave Fitzgerald in single coverage that close to the end zone because that cross is virtually undefendable without a safety to help out.

Against the Bills and Leodis McKelvin, Fitzgerald used his size to block McKelvin and score on that 5-yard slant play. The other time was more of the safety’s fault, who looked past Fitzgerald after McKelvin was picked by another Cardinals WR.



This is another popular move with the Cardinals, who use a lot of picks with their big, physical receivers.

This happened legally on a great play against the Seahawks week 17. Trufant was playing about four or five yards off Fitzgerald. As the play started, Fitzgerald faked into the end zone and Trufant played to the back corner. In the meantime, a screen formed with two wide receivers and the right tackle. Fitzgerald’s move created enough separation for Warner to whip it out to Fitzgerald. As he caught it, Trufant was blocked simultaneously by another WR. The play ended in a touchdown.



Overall, the 5-11 and shorter crowd performed terribly against Fitzgerald.

The next article in this series will detail the Seahawks outlook against the Cardinals
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field

Never entirely
without incident

Ex-Seahawk Grant Wistrom wil be enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame today. He played with the Seahawks from 2004-2006.

The NFL is having trouble gaining ground in China. Remember when the Seahawks were supposed to play the Patriots there?

Rob Staton has an excellent write-up on possible wild-card draft picks.

To Continue...

Our new defensive coordinator is a long way from Fargo, writes this AP reporter.

People got fined for not releasing public records relating to the construction of Qwest Field.
Read more

MARINERS: A-Rod on the Juice?

Sports Illustrated is reporting in 2003, while with the Texas Rangers, ex-Seattle Mariner, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids.

SI asked Rodriguez about the test results which were supposed to be anonymous.

"You'll have to talk to the players union, I'm not saying anything," Rodriguez said.

To Continue...

A-Rod, the highest paid player in MLB history, is set to make $32 million this season as part of his historic 10 year $275 millon deal. The deal could be worth a reported $305 million as A-Rod passes the home run leaders; Willy Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), earing a $6 million bonus for each acheivement.

In response to the report, Major League Baseball released the following statement:

“We are disturbed by the allegations contained in the Sports Illustrated news story which was posted online this morning. Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we can not make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named.

“Based on the results of the 2003 tests, Major League Baseball was able to institute a mandatory random-testing program with penalties in 2004. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have improved the drug testing program on several occasions so that it is now the toughest program in professional sports. The program bans stimulants, such as amphetamines, as well as steroids.

“Any allegation of tipping that took place under prior iterations of the program is of grave concern to Major League Baseball, as such behavior would constitute a serious breach of our agreement.

“Under Commissioner Selig’s leadership, Major League Baseball remains fully committed to the elimination of the use of performance enhancing substances from baseball. As the Commissioner has said, we will continue to do everything within our power to eliminate the use of such drugs and to protect the integrity of the program.”
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft daily update

Yeah guys! I went in the
top 20!

Three more picks came in for today from the Lions, Eagles and Vikings.

Ty from the Lions in Winter made the no. 20 selection, and like the no. 1 pick overall, you probably wouldn't have called it.

Derek, writer for www.igglesblog.com, made the selection for the Eagles.

Several people took part in the making the selection for the Vikings at the Daily Norseman: Christopher Gates, Mike Sutehall, Eric Thompson and Andrew Kneeland.

For the draft, click here.


Read more

SEAHAWKS: Boldin will ask to be traded

Josh Wilson or Kelly Jennings might not
have to get dominated by Boldin twice
a year anymore.

During Thursday's practice for the Pro Bowl, Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin told USA Today he would ask to be traded during this offseason.

I don't think the relationship can be repaired with the organization.

Removing one of the best receivers in the league from such a one-dimensional team could have a huge impact to the Cardinals.

Of course, people will be speculating that Boldin should go to the "receiver-starved" Seahawks, but there is little to no chance the Cards will trade Boldin to their top divisional rival.

To Continue...

But would the Hawks even barter for another injury-prone WR? Boldin has missed 16 games since 2004.

This story put a big smile on my face because the receiving tandem of Fitzgerald/Breaston is a lot less threatening when Boldin isn't there.

This news comes on the heels of the Cardinals losing their offensive coordinator to the Chiefs. It's looking like the Cardinals may have that Super Bowl hangover most SB losers seem to have.
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft update and reading the field

Alright guys, 3rd and long... I've
got this unstoppable play, it's called
"suicide." We're bringing the heat!

Two more picks came in from the Buccaneers and Bears.

Adam Tracy of Windy City Gridiron chose for the Bears and Craig Smith of Buc 'Em made the pick for the Buccaneers.

Reading the field...

Here's something that made me laugh out loud yesterday, courtesy of SSreporters. It involves John Marshall's creative playbook.

2009 power ranking, What the...? You have to scroll down to 26 to see the Seahawks. Here is the lovely insight that only CBS Sports bloggers can provide (unedited):

They ight win a few games but not much.

I guess we should start our countdown, 108 days until the draft! Edit: this guy is off by 30 days, thanks Brodie!

To Continue...

I forgot to post to this earlier, but Chris Sullivan of SA had a great write-up on the Seahawks salary cap situation.

Meet Knowshon Moreno.

This Pennsylvania college newspapers says that lazy officiating tainted the super bowl.

Now, I will say that the refs in this game weren't as one-sided as the ones that handed the Steelers their fifth overall championship back in 2006.

Eric Williams of the TNT has his own write-up on how the Seahawks defense is shaping up.

Tim Lewis uses another ambiguous word to describe the Seahawks: Dynamic.

The Seahawks are valued at about $1 Billion. They're priceless in my book.
Read more

MARINERS: Building For The Future Part VI; Left Field

-
Although the grass on field is the same, the Seattle Mariners have given most of their outfield a face lift.

While Ichiro will take up his usual duties in right field, general manager Jack Zduriencik said that newcomer Franklin Gutierrez will take over as the everyday center fielder, which leaves left field wide open.

New Mariner Endy Chavez and young talent Wladimir Balentin are expected to split time, but the crafty Zduriencik has been busy stirring up the rumor mill. Seattle is also being mentioned often regarding free agents Bobby Abreu and local hero Ken Griffey Jr.



To Continue...

Last season, split between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, Junior had a mostly healthy season.

"The Kid" played in 143 games but struggled hitting with only 18 home runs (he had 30, 27 and 35 respectively in the three seasons prior), and his .249 batting average was the second lowest of his career. He also cost the Reds $12.5 million last season.

For the Mariners to sign Griffey, a one-year deal would have to be in the $6-million range since Abreu is only getting $8.5 million offers. Griffey has expressed a lot of interest in returning the club where he debuted 20 years ago.

Seattle fans have been screaming for the return of Griffey, but Zduriencik has shown patience this entire offseason, so there's no reason to think he won't wait until the very last moment before pulling the trigger on signing Griffey.

For now it looks like Chavez and Balentin will platoon, but bringing Griffey back to Seattle would put a lot of fans in the seats.
Read more

SEAHAWKS: How do we stop this man?

The Seahawks relinquished their NFC West Champion crown this season, and adorned it atop the heads of Kurt Warner and company.

The Cardinals turned out to be the best one-dimensional team in the league, with a high-flying air attack ranked no. 2 in passing yards. In contrast, their running game ranked WORST in the league.

Need more proof of how one-dimensional they were? They gave up an average of 26.6 points a game. That’s worse than the Seahawks, who gave up an average of 24.5 points.

It all comes down to Kurt Warner, and, perhaps more importantly, his main target: Larry Fitzgerald. We play them two times a year. In 2008, Fitzgerald amassed 281 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle’s secondary in those two painful meetings.

So, how do we contain him?

Perhaps a better question is “who can contain him?”

To Continue...

Tall Cornerbacks fair better
Fitzgerald faced off against seven cornerbacks who stood 6-0 or taller. Of those seven games, Fitzgerald averaged 66.1 yards per game and 0.6 touchdowns a game.

During the other nine games, Fitzgerald faced off against cornerbacks 5-11 or shorter, and accumulated much better stats, with an average of 107.7 receiving yards and 0.89 touchdowns a game.

Fitzgerald likes to utilize his size to beat smaller cornerbacks in jump ball situations and also has physical strength to muscle the smaller corners out of position.

Analyzing the tape: 6-0 or taller
Against the 6-0 or taller cornerbacks, Fitzgerald caught two short slants for touchdowns, one jumper and a deep ball that doesn’t really count because the 6-0 player in question dumped Fitzgerald off to the safety, who blew the coverage. 49ers CB Nate Clements gave up two of those touchdowns to Fitzgerald, one on a short cross and another on a jumper that Clements was clearly not ready for.

On the cross, the Niners were playing the run, stuffing the box with eight with a safety playing slightly toward Fitzgerald. Clements gives Fitzgerald way to much room and the safety is thinking “run” the whole time. This gives an easy touchdown to Fitzgerald who uses his body to screen out Clements.

He scored another against Rams backup CB Ronald Bartell on a five-yard slant. The fourth came during a game when Redskins CB Shawn Springs was covering him, but it wasn’t actually Springs’ fault, who let Fitzgerald off to the safety, who let Fitzgerald blow by him for a 54-yard touchdown.

For the most part, the bigger, taller guys didn’t let Fitzgerald blow up their team for multiple touchdowns and 100+ yard games. The reasons for this include Fitzgerald’s lesser ability to out-muscle the bigger guys, a lesser chance to catch the jump balls, and generally lesser speed than the CB. Fitzgerald hardly ever blows by the safety for a huge touchdown pass, he just doesn't have the top end speed to do that. However, he does have the height and athleticism to consistently beat CBs to the ball, and he knows how to use his strength and body to his advantage.

Tomorrow I'll take a look at the tape for the shorter CBs and find out what works and what does not work.

Red indicates shorter than 6-0. All 6-0 and taller CBs held Fitzgerald to less than 100 yards except for ex-Seahawk Shawn Springs. And, as I wrote earlier, the huge play for a touchdown was not his fault.

Part II
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Video

-
Perhaps the most explosive NBA player in today's game, Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers, is a soccer fan. He follows FC Barcelona and tells ESPN The Magazine about his love for the world's game. While Bryant would most likely cheer on David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy instead of the Sounders FC, it always helps to have a big-time soccer fan in America.



END
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Breaking down Bradley

Seahawks,
ATAAAAAACCCK!

The Seahawks let Gus Bradley speak with Seattle-area beat reporters yesterday and a few interesting tidbits came out of the meeting.

First off, the new motto of the Seahawks defense is “Attack.”

Vagaries aside, Bradley described attacking the offense as bringing a lot of different packages at the offense “whether it’s a blitz situation, a zone pressure situation, or even if it’s a seven-man front.” He stressed that “attacking” doesn’t mean it’s going to be blitz happy.

To Continue...

The Tampa two
Field Gulls mentioned this, but Bradley said that Tampa two doesn’t always mean cover two.

Maybe the perception was cover-two, but we played some eight-man stuff, we played quarters-covered, we played cover-two, we zone-pressured, we man-pressured.

Bradley said he thinks he has the right personnel to fit the scheme, meaning he has speedy guys. He specifically mentioned Lofa Tatupu, then talked about also wanting big guys who are also fast, using Warren Sapp as an example.

Bradley says they are going to tweak the defense, and it sounded like they would lean more toward Tampa two.

Evaluating the players
He wouldn’t comment on what he thought needed to change on defense because they haven’t evaluated the players yet, and they were still waiting for things to happen in free agency.

He addressed the perceived lack of size:

If you see guys getting driven off the ball, I think that’s the first thing people attribute it to. They go, ‘Oh, they’re not big enough.’ But it might be just technique. It might be that they’re not getting low enough, their stance isn’t low enough, they’re not in position.

He said he thinks we have good corners here and hinted at improving pressure on the quarterback.

I do know that if a quarterback’s on his back, all of a sudden that receiver isn’t as tall, you know?

Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field

Read or die!

Scott M. Johnson writes that the Seahawks are starting from scratch, coaching-wise, this season.

This Rotoworld mock draft has gone similarly to our Interblog mock draft. They have the Seahawks taking smith, Chiefs taking Stafford and the Rams taking Crabtree.

Josh Wilson spent super bowl weekend with the troops.

To Continue...

Field Gulls does a quick breakdown of Gus Bradley's interview with the media. They also say that shaved heads and goatees wins championships.

Bradley wants passion to turn around our defense in 2009, according to this Kitsap Sun article.

Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft daily update

Jeff Richards likes
Jason Smith a lot,
so who stole him from
Jeff?!

Two more picks came from two fine blogs for the Chargers and the Jets.

Brian Blakistone writes for Bolts from the Blue and made the pick for the Chargers.

Brian Basset, The Jets Blog, made the pick for New York.

You can check out the entire mock draft here.


Read more

SEAHAWKS: The Greg Knapp interview

_
In case you haven't read it yet, the News Tribune posted a transcript of the interview with Seattle's new offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp. You can read it here.

Perhaps the most intriguing bit of information is the amount of variances of the West Coast offense that have been exposed to him. Of his listed direct influences, Knapp named Mike Shanahan, Steve Mariucci and Bill Walsh. Mariucci learned the offense primarily from Mike Holmgren while he was quarterback coach of the Packers in the early 90's, so Knapp knows the current system pretty well, too.

What this means is that there should be a pretty smooth transition, but at the same time, Knapp is going to bring enough wrinkles and new ideas that the offense won't be so stale. Still, he basically spells out that the passing game won't be undergoing much change.

So when it comes to the pass concepts that the speed guys have learned here, that’s going to be very similar: the verbiage and the reads and the progressions. Like I said, my foundation in the passing game really came from the background of Mike Holmgren, Bill Walsh, to Steve Mariucci, to Greg Knapp. So I’ve been exposed to that foundation. So the pass concepts will be similar.

What he promises will change is the offensive line play, as the team will begin the transition to a zone blocking scheme from man blocking this season.

To Continue...

The benefit of that—some of the strengths of that zone run game is this: as history has proven, the parts have changed, whether it was the runner or whether it was the lineman, yet the success has still been pretty productive.

It has been suggested that the shift to a zone blacking scheme means there is less importance on star linemen and so Seattle will be less likely to go offensive line with their first pick in the draft.

But even Denver, the most famous practitioner of this scheme, drafted Ryan Clady with the 12th pick last year. Even in zone blocking, which requires smaller, more agile linemen, you need a bookend left tackle to protect the quarterback.

Knapp did promise the shift won't be complete, and the team will not need to change personnel to make the adjustment.

It makes it hard on a defensive front seven to defend if we do mix in a power, a counter, because that way, they can’t just line up [and say], ‘All right, let’s go play zone run game.’ So we do need to have some guys that can do that as well, and there’s a good mixture of linemen that are currently here. That helps us out.

In case you were wondering how Michael Crabtree might fit into the offense, Knapp does mention how he learned about dumbing down the offense and making it easier for younger receivers from former Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin, who had to deal with starting freshmen all the time while at USC.

Knapp also mentioned how his varied background gives him enough ideas on how to use receivers that he doesn't need a dominant, number one wideout. Of course, "need" and "want" are two different things. I'm sure given the opportunity, Knapp will gladly adapt the offense to a talent like Crabtree.

From everything he's said and judging from his background, I think it's safe to assume the offense will be in good hands between him and Matt Hasselbeck. Now once Hasselbeck is gone along with the rest of the offense's veterans, who knows.

You can read more about Knapp here. Read more

SEAHAWKS: Injury what-ifs: who would've made the most impact: defense

Arrrgghh I sleep in silver-lined
"earthing" sheets!

In part one, I took a look at the injured wide receivers and running backs and rated each on a scale of 1-10 in terms of how much of an impact they would have had on the team if they were healthy for the entire season. One means no impact and 10 means they would have led to a couple extra wins.

At the end of this three part series, I'll crown the player who would have single-handedly led us to the NFC West crown and handed us the Lombardi Trophy.

OK, that wasn't going to happen this season... but it could have!

This time, I'll be taking a look at the defensive starters who were injured.

This list is relatively small compared to the offense, which lost their entire starting line, QB and WRs. Ouch.

To Continue...

LB

Lofa Tatupu: Tatupu missed one game and had a cast on one of his hands for most of the season. It was clear the Seahawks’ defensive play caller wasn’t the same this season, and it showed in his overall stats. Tatupu finished with a career low 94 tackles. This statistic was even evident in his play because I can recall a few instances where Tatupu should have wrapped up his man, but failed to do so, resulting in extra yardage for the offense. This is highly uncharacteristic of Tatupu, a linebacker known as perhaps one of the best tacklers in the league.

Don’t blame Tatupu’s downfall merely on the injury though. Obviously some of the blame falls on him, and the defensive unit as a whole. They under performed this season for whatever reason. Tatupu doesn’t have a dominating presence on the field as a relatively undersized linebacker, and he prospers when the defensive unit plays well as a group. That simply didn’t happen this season, and I think that is the main reason for Tatupu’s dropoff in 2008.
Rating: 3

Leroy Hill: Touted as the best linebacker on the Seahawks by fellow backers Tatupu and Peterson, Hill was having a fantastic season until his injury during the Cowboys game. He missed the final four games of the season. Hill was on pace to lead the team in tackles but finished with 84. Hill’s strongest asset is his sure-tackling and ability to help contain the run, often overpowering tight ends or whoever gets in his path. But his pass coverage leaves something to be desired, so you would expect a drop off in run defense, right?

The Seahawks performed well against the run during the final four games of the season, allowing only 84 yards against the Rams, and no more than 131 yards in a game during that final stretch. Hill’s absence definitely affects the game plan, but for the purposes of this article, the Hawks did manage to win two games without everyone’s new favorite LB. We probably should have won the Patriots game, and that boosts Hill’s score a little but not much.
Rating: 3

CB

Marcus Trufant: This one won’t be too hard. Trufant didn’t miss any games, but he was playing with a cast for a few games during the season. He was still able to shut down Randy Moss and many other WRs this season, despite the injury.

However, it was clear Trufant wasn’t quite the same corner he was last season, missing key tackles and having a few tough games, most notably against a dominant Cardinals passing game. Part of the blame can go to the hand injury and the decline of the secondary as a group this season, and to John Marshall who left Trufant covering Larry Fitzgerald one-on-one. Overall, I wouldn’t look too far into debating whether a healthy Trufant would have impacted the team very much; he wasn’t targeted nearly as often as Jennings or Wilson.
Rating: 1

DE

Patrick Kerney: You gotta’ love Kerney. He sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber to infuse his body with oxygen and does all kind of “alternative” healing to try and get that much better than the opposing right tackle. The Seahawks were missing the most vital component to their pass rush attack after he went on injured reserve for the final nine games of the season.

During the seven games he did play, Kerney was forcing double teams and still managed five sacks and two forced fumbles. The team accumulated 19 sacks during those seven games and only managed 16 more for the remaining nine, and you better believe Kerney’s absence had something to do with that. The team's sack leaders ended the season with six.

The combo of Atkins, Tapp and Jackson just isn’t the same without Kerney forcing the double team on most plays. His presence would have been beneficial during games where we faced relentless passing attacks such as against the Cardinals, Cowboys and Patriots, and dare I say we may have won a couple of those? (OK, not the Dallas game, but who knows!). Hopefully we’ll see a healthy Kerney next year, but at 32 years old, that seems less and less likely.
Rating: 8
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft update and reading the field

Who took Malcolm Jenkins 14th overall? Oops.

Two more draft picks came in yesterday from the Saints and the Texans. Dave Cariello of Canal Street Chronicles chose for the Saints and Chris Watkins, editor and owner of Houston Diehards, made the pick for the Texans.

For the Interblog mock draft, click here.

Here's "Reading the field"

The Raiders picked up infamous Seahawks ex-defensive coordinator John Marshall to make the defensive play calls. Chris Sullivan at SA thinks Al Davis has lost his mind.

A documentary of the 2008 draft features Seahawks FB Owen Schmitt.

To Continue...

Apparently, during the super bowl Tuscan viewers had to relive the Janet Jackson fiasco all over again. But, this time it came in the form of full frontal nudity. During the final few minutes of the game, viewers were interrupted by a porno rather than Santonio Holmes's miraculous catch. Don't worry, link is safe for work.

New Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp aims for balance. Here's what Greg Knapp had to say.

"I can tell you this. We will be a balanced offensive attack. At some places, it's probably been heavier one way or the other. I do feel, based on what I've seen on tape, we're going to be strong in both areas.

"That's the toughest way for a defense to defend. Which may mean one week we're hopefully passing for 300, but the next week we're running for 150-plus because that's what the defense is giving us."

The stinky Cardinals and Rays give hope to fans such as us.

Washington Troopers made 125 DUI arrests on Super Bowl Sunday.

Field Gulls breaks down the apparent "striving for balance" articles most newspapers have been publishing in regards to Greg Knapp and the offense.
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Training Camp 2009

-
The Sounders FC touched down in California Monday, Feb. 2 (just one day after Vini Oliveira was named to the roster after the SuperSearch conclusion) to begin training camp.

The Sounders will be in Ventura County in sunny Southern California, participating in two-a-days on different college fields in the area.

The Seattle Times reports that at least nine additional players have practiced for the first time with the team or have been added to the roster since the Sounders FC arrived in California.


To Continue...

Among the newbies were:
Forward Quavas Kirk (from LA Galaxy)
Midfielder Ryan Pore (from Kansas City Wizards)
Defender/Midfielder Ryan Caugherty (played for Wake Forest University, but currently was with a Romanian team)
Forward Vini Oliveira (winner of the SuperSearch)
Midfielder Peter Vagenas (from LA Galaxy)

Head coach Sigi Schmid said he will run the team through weight lifting, scrimmaging along with just getting to know one another this week to find the right mix of players.
Read more

NSS Reader photo of the week

We're in the armpit of the Seattle professional sports offseason, and not just any offseason; 2008 was not kind to the fans.

So, what better time to remember the good times?

We're rolling out a new feature to the website and it involves you, the reader.

Each week we'll crown a reader's photo as the photo of the week and feature it here on NSS. All you have to do is contact us through email by sending your photo to nextseasonsports@gmail.com. Include any information you want us to know about the photo. Be sure to make the subject of your email "NSS photo" or something similar.

The photo must relate to the Sounders, Mariners or Seahawks, and no, we will not post anything lewd or distasteful.

For the photo of the week...

This week I'll post a couple of random Seahawks photos, hopefully you have better ones!


This one is a crappy cell phone picture before the Rams game last season.


View from the press box, once again my camera phone


This is my custom Seahawks bar. My girlfriend painted it... equipped with Christmas lights!

Read more

MARINERS: Daily news

_
The Mariners continue to look for ways to trim salary, so they can make another signing, possibly Bobby Abreu or Ken Griffey Jr. Right now, the number one suitor for taking one of Seattle's high-priced pitchers is the Minnesota Twins.

The Seattle PI's John Hickey reported yesterday that the team discussed trading Jarrod Washburn and Jeff Clement to the Twins for outfielder Delmon Young, who is perhaps best known for throwing a bat at an umpire.



At 23, Young has also managed to hit .292 in three seasons in the majors after being the first overall selection in the 2003 draft. The two teams are continuing trade discussions.

To continue...

If Washburn is traded then that would open a possible spot in the rotation for Ryan Rowland-Smith. He was a bright spot last season working from the bullpen then as a starter. In 118.3 innings, he managed a 3.42 ERA with a 5-3 record.

Rowland-Smith just turned 26 last month, and he expects to compete for a starting role at training camp.

Speaking of training camp, manager Don Wakamatsu is implementing some changes, beginning with the subtraction of former players appearing every day in camp. Instead, they'll be attending the Minor League camp, which begins March 8.

"Jack and I have talked about this, and we think we can utilize [the former players] more on the Minor League side," Wakamatsu said to MLB.com. "There will be a lot going on and I want us to have a close-knit group. The new coaching staff is trying to establish close relationships with the players right out of the chute." Read more

SOUNDERS: Vinicius Olivera wins Sounders Super Search

_
Written By Stephanie Castillo

In a semi-awkward presentation put on by Disney and the Sounders FC, Vinicius “Vini” Olivera from Bellevue, Wash., was named the winner of the Sounders Super Search on Feb. 1.

In perhaps the biggest PR move in recent Seattle sport history, more than 600 athletes tried out for a spot on the Sounders roster in Tukwila, Spokane and Yakima, before a panel of judges narrowed down the field to 10 players.

To Continue...

The 10 finalists scrimmaged against the Seattle Wolves, a semi-professional team on Saturday, Jan. 31 and the 10 became four.

The final four played a two-on-two game, then the judges cut two more players. Eventually, a one-on-one game, which resembled a high-school team’s warm-up drill, between the final two contestants was the deciding factor.

With the Sounders team watching on and Kevin Calabro commentating, Olivera emerged as the winner.

When his name was called, confetti flew, music played and team members gave Olivera an obligatory high-five and hug as he put on his neon-green Sounders FC jersey.

The 20-year-old forward’s playing experience includes: Bellevue Community College’s soccer team, Sammamish High School’s soccer team… and that’s about it.

His 2008 stats include 25 goals and 7 assists, plus an MVP trophy for the West Region of the NWAACC.

So whether or not Olivera, the youngest (and maybe the least experienced?) finalist, will make an impact on the team remains to be seen, but we’ll let him have the limelight for now.
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft daily update, and Reading the field

Everette Brown was
picked up, but by who?!

Three more picks came in today from the Bills, Broncos and Redskins, representing Buffalo Rumblings, Orange Bucksnorts and the official Redskins blog. For the Interblog Mock Draft click here.

Reading the field time...

Here is a list of the players invited to the NFL Combine, which takes place Feb. 18-24. Rob Staton over at the Seahawks draft blog asks a few questions about the combine.

This Sports Network article suggests Michael Crabtree could be the rookie of the year if he plays for the Seahawks.

To Continue...

The Seahawks are ranked no. 26 in this meaningless NFL power poll. The writer cites a coaching transition as the main reason the Hawks will struggle again.

Chris Sullivan of Seahawk Addicts notes some upcoming salary cap troubles.

Does going to the super bowl equal a salary crunch the next season?
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Sizing up the enemy pt. 1 - St. Louis Rams

_
The St. Louis Rams finished this season with the worst record in franchise history after going 2-14, one year after finishing 3-13. Clearly they didn’t learn any lessons.

For the second year in a row, the Rams will pick second in the NFL draft and are the only thing keeping Seattle from the basement in the NFC West. Whether they will maintain that level of incompetence into next season will depend on how effective their new staff is.

With a staggering 27 losses in two seasons, the Rams began this offseason by completely re-hauling their front office and coaching staff. They began by hiring former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as head coach.

Teams have proven many times in the last several years that anyone can go from worst to first in the salary cap era of the NFL. The Miami Dolphins showed it most recently, and the Rams themselves showed it most famously, going from 4-12 in 1998 to Super Bowl champions in 1999.

The Rams have reason for optimism. They have a talented new coach and several young, promising players already on the roster.

To continue...

Coaching Staff

The hiring of Spagnuolo this offseason signals an important change for the Rams organization. For almost 10 years, the team has been identified by one characteristic: passing. Well, it may finally be time to say goodbye to “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

Spagnuolo is a defensive coach, and like most defensive coaches, he’s going to want a ground-based ball control offense.

An even bigger nail in the coffin of their former offensive glory comes in the form of new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. The nephew of Mike Holmgren’s old defensive coordinator with the Packers, Fritz Shurmur, Pat will bring the West Coast offense to St. Louis.

Shurmur spent 10 seasons as a coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, most recently as quarterback coach. While Andy Reid is well known for his liberal use of the pass, it is more likely Shurmur ends up more like fellow Reid disciple, Brad Childress, and relies much more on the run.

As for defense, we are all well aware of what Spagnuolo brings to the table. He spent years under Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, and in the past two seasons, he has brought the same philosophy to the Giants: bring the heat.

While it’s impossible to know how effective this new Rams coaching staff will be, one thing is for certain, it will be a whole new team the Seahawks will be facing on Sundays.

One good thing about them using the West Coast offense will be that our defense will be ready for them. It’s doubtful they’ll be able to execute it as well on us, and the Sea-fence will have plenty of experience facing a superior version every day in practice.

Roster

If the front office is doing their jobs correctly, then come the opening of the 2009 season, the Rams roster will look dramatically different than it does now. In 2008-09, the Rams finished 30th in the league in points scored and 31st in points allowed. Needless to say, Spagnuolo has a lot of work ahead of him.

However, there does exist plenty of young talent already on the Rams roster, especially on the defensive side. The keepers for St. Louis include defensive end Chris Long, defensive tackle Adam Carriker, cornerbacks Tye Hill and Ronald Bartell, and safety OJ Otogwe. They will all have a chance to thrive in the new system.

Long and Carriker were the Rams’ top draft picks these past two years. While they haven’t lived up to their top billing, they each have shown flashes of talent. Both players are big, strong and play with a great deal of tenacity. They could be the cornerstones for a defensive line Spagnuolo no doubt hopes reaches the same level as the ones he coached in New York.

The downside for the new system is it may make the defense’s best player no longer viable at his position. At 235 pounds (probably generous), Pisa Tinoisamoa may be too light to play outside linebacker in Spagnuolo’s system, which tasks the position with a liberal amount of blitzing.

Despite this youth, the Rams roster is filled with old, past their prime players that need to be trimmed. Here’s the list of starters older than 30:

S Corey Chavous, LB Chris Draft, DE Leonard Little, DT La’Roi Glover, T Orlando Pace, WR Tory Holt, WR Drew Bennett, QB Marc Bulger, CB Fakhir Brown

That’s almost half their starting defense.

Offensively, the team is built around Steven Jackson, who is still only 25 and one of the most talented running backs in the league. Unfortunately, he also has one of the least talented offensive lines blocking for him. That’s unlikely to change.

At quarterback, Marc Bulger seems to be at the end of the line for his career. He never had a particularly strong arm, and injuries seem to have downgraded his arm even further. However, the same was said of Miami’s Chad Pennington before this season. Bulger remains a smart, accurate quarterback, and the shift to a West Coast offense may be just what he needs to get his career back on track.

Ultimately, what will probably prevent the Rams from a 1999-style turnaround is their lack of strength on both sides of the line. Carriker and Long, talented as they are, are not the talented pass rushers Spagnuolo needs on defense (4 sacks combined in 2008). On offense, the line has a long way to go before the Rams are ready to play smash-mouth football, and their passing game will at best be satisfactory.

The Draft

Unless they trade down, the Rams seem most likely to address the offensive line. They may go for Michael Crabtree, but Donnie Avery had a successful rookie season. Considering the need to get younger, the front office will likely try very hard to move down and accumulate more draft picks. However, it’s tough to find a team willing to move all the way to the second pick.

Unless a team is desperate to get one of the top two quarterbacks (yeah right), the Rams will probably stay pat. Almost every mock draft has them going for Alabama tackle Andre Smith due to his superior run-blocking skills. But you never know.

Though this may work against the desires of most Hawk fans who want Crabtree in the draft, should the Rams take him, it could signal continued futility for the Rams in much the same manner drafting receivers high did for the Detroit Lions. If they fail to address the lines then they may be looking at a third-straight season with double-digit losses.

It will be interesting to see how the Rams build their team this offseason. Should they focus on rebuilding the offensive and defensive lines, they have enough talent at the skill positions that they could actually compete next season. But it’s going to take an almost complete roster overhaul.

Read more

MARINERS: Building For The Future Part V: Depth Chart, Middle Infield

_
When Jack Zduriencik finalized the trade of Aaron Heilman to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson, the Seattle Mariners ended up with five potential candidates for the starting 2B and SS positions.

This is not to say that 2B Jose Lopez or SS Yuniesky Betancourt are in any danger of losing their starting jobs, but developing talent is all about depth.

However, among the shortstops that played at least 100 games, Betancourt's .968 fielding percentage was the lowest. Cedeno, in 27 games with the Cubs, had the same percentage.

Between Betancourt, Cedeno and Rule 5 draft selection Reggie Corona, a battle could emerge during spring training.

To Continue...

At 26 years old, it's make or break time for Cedeno. In 532 at-bats for Triple-A Iowa, Cedeno hit .357 for 73 RBIs with 18 homers and 17 stolen bases.

Cedeno may have the upper hand when it comes to a very important stat. While Betancort walked only 17 times in 559 at-bats, Cedeno took 18 free passes in only 216 at-bats.

The recent signing of Mike Sweeny and Russell Brayan signifies Lopez will stay put at second.

Although I doubt Betancourt will lose his starting job, Zduriencik could be looking at backup options. Late season call-up Tug Hulett could also serve, along with Cedeno and Corona as Willie Bloomquist replacements.

"I like the idea of competition going into spring training," manager Don Wakamatsu said.

Healthy competition could be just what the rebuilding Seattle Mariners need. So we'll wait, and watch the competition unfold.

Barring any more moves part VI will look into the outfield since Adrian Beltre won't be going anywhere, at least not this year.


To read other parts of the series...

Part IV

Part III

Part II

Part I
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Injury what-ifs: Who would've made the biggest impact

Would 15.5 more games with
Burleson have made a difference?

Sometimes it’s funny talking to people who don’t know a lot about Seahawks when they chime in about the 2008 season.

“They sucked this year,” is often the first thing they say, shaking their head. “They had a ton of injuries!”

Really?

Well, it’s funny to me. Even the lamest sports fan knows 2008 was astoundingly bad, with a large part of the blame going to a crippling amount of early injuries.

It seems to beg the question: which player would have made the most impact had they not missed a game this year?

I’ll be rating the injured starters on a scale of 1-10, one being no impact and 10 meaning the player could have won multiple games for the team. Ambiguous, I know, so feel free to debate my arguments.

To Continue...

This will be a three-part series and at the end I’ll crown the player who would have impacted the season the most.

WR

Nate Burleson: It’s hard to tell how much of an impact Burleson would have had. He didn’t finish playing in the first game against the Bills, but still accumulated 60 yards and a touchdown, putting him on pace for 960 yards and 16 TDs, which would have easily surpassed John Carlson’s Seahawks reception leading numbers.

Burleson also doubles as a kick-returner, something we didn’t necessarily excel at for a lot of the season. In 2007, Burleson rocked everyone’s world returning kickoffs, despite being overshadowed by the Bears’ Devin Hester. Burleson scored multiple touchdowns on punt returns and kept the Seahawks with manageable field position in 2007, which was something we struggled with in 2008.

Not only that, Burleson big play ability as a WR would have made an impact during the early games where the Seahawks sustained many injuries at the position. He is an experienced disciple of the west coast offense, previously playing for the Vikings, and he was seemingly finally catching on to the intricacies of Holmgren’s version. 2008 was probably going to be a big year for Burleson, and I might even go out on a limb and say we would have won at least two more games with him.

One of those wins would've come during the Niners home game, where Seneca Wallace, who was set to play WR, and Logan Payne both went down early with injuries. That left a rag-tag group of practice squad talent as the starters at a position that demands perfect timing and route running. Hasselbeck was not at his finest due to the WRs lack of experience and the Hawks lost a game they should have dominated in OT. I would say the Hawks could have won the Patriots or Cardinals games, due to how close they were, but I wouldn’t go so far to say that they would have won both. With Burleson, I’d say we may have split those. Due to the sheer number of games Burleson missed, how could his impact not overshadow the likes of Engram and Branch?
Rating: 8

Deion Branch: Branch (or should we call him twig, as in the fragile kind that breaks easily) missed an astounding eight starts this season. By this point, we shouldn’t be surprised by any injury Branch sustains. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate him when he is on the field. When Branch finally got healthy he started amassing the kind of numbers that a guy we gave up a first round pick for should.

Of course, the eight missed games could have helped out the Seahawks considerably, much the way I wrote Burleson could. I would rate him similarly, but Burleson, to me, seems like he would have made more of an impact. While Branch was healthy, he never really won us any games. He was spectacular in the Patriots game but even that performance wasn’t enough to avoid a loss. If we had the Burleson/Branch combo for that game, maybe things would have played out differently. For these reasons, I’d rate Branch narrowly lower than Burleson.
Rating: 6

Bobby Engram: He missed the first three games when we could have used him the most. However, Engram turned out to be a non-factor this season even when he was healthy, with zero touchdowns and less than 500 reception yards. Let’s be honest, one extra wide receiver for the first three games probably wasn’t going to change anything, except maybe the receiver-starved Niners home game. However, he was at a position of need all season, so he deserves a decent rating.
Rating: 4

RB

Maurice Morris: He missed three games at the beginning of the season, but as I recall Julius Jones had two monster games during that timespan against the Rams and the Niners. It was clear Holmgren didn’t really know how to use the running back tandem of Morris and Jones, and things just seemed to work better when one or the other was taking all the carries. Both running backs have near identical frames and both like to make a cut and go. In essence, Jones and Morris were interchangeable this season and him being gone for a few games made absolutely no difference.
Rating: 1

Next time we’ll be looking at Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones, Chris Spencer and Sean Locklear.
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft daily update

-
Only one pick came, largely due to everyone being to busy watching the super bowl and doing their own write-ups on the game.

David Fucillo of Niners Nation made the pick for the 49ers.

To view the Interblog Mock Draft.



Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field

-
It's all super bowl today. First we'll take a look at division rival Cardinals blogs.

Over at Raising Arizona, Scott Allen feels the pain of any super bowl loser, and then some, due to the heart-wrenching ending.

I just wasn’t sure what I was going to say this morning. I certainly couldn’t put it into words last night. The game last night tugged on emotions, had me from up and cheering to down with my hand on my chin.

Hawkwind, at Revenge of the Birds, says that questionable officiating ruined the super bowl.

In a game when the National Football League puts it's two best teams on the biggest stage in front of the Nation and the world, a third team stepped into the spotlight. Officiating is a thankless job that rarely receives anything but criticism but it can't be denied that the officials were the focal point for a large part of Super Bowl XLIII.

Steelers Football Blog says Big Ben slayed the demons he carried with him from XL.

To Continue...

Steelers Today writer says he's too tired celebrating to post a game summary.

In the wake of another superbowl controversy, the Bleacher Report published this: Are NFL games fixed?

Why can't Pittsburgh win without a controversy?

The majority of America felt disgusted and sorry for Mike Holmgren and his Seattle Seahawks after Super Bowl XL, which was one of the worst officiated games in NFL history.

I had never seen more articles written after one game about officiating like that Super Bowl, and how the refs seemed to be on a mission to ensure The Bus left Detroit with a Super Bowl ring.

Read more

SEAHAWKS: Oh the humanity!

-
Just needed to get that out. If I do a full write-up in my drunken stupor I might get this blog banned off the internet. We'll have more on the game tomorrow after the smoke clears and the confetti settles.
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Super Bowl prediction time

(Seinfeld voice) What's the deeeaaal with
Roman numerals?
So everyone seems to be picking the Steelers to win this game. They have the best defense in the league, and the terrible towels will likely dominate the crowd. The Cardinals have been a fun underdog team, but the Steelers are just too balanced, just too good.

That's one way of looking at it. Maybe it's just my contrary nature, but I happen to like Arizona a little more.

To continue...

All the talk, really the entire playoffs, has been about Larry Fitzgerald and how teams can stop him. The Steelers might be the team to do it. The only problem? That other Cardinals wide receiver is pretty good too. What's his name? Oh right, Anquan Boldin. Yeah, that guy's not bad. Steve Breaston is pretty good as well.

Another problem Pittsburgh's going to have, as usual, is protecting Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh is one of the worst teams in the league at protecting the quarterback (29th in sacks allowed). While Arizona only finished 14th in sacks, they're quick and get consistent pressure even when they don't get the sack. They've also turned it up in the playoffs.

Arizona also has the better quarterback. Kurt Warner's a two-time league MVP. Roethlisberger has the distinction of having the worst quarterback rating for a Super Bowl winning quarterback. I doubt the refs will bail him out this time. If it comes down to a close game, I'd rather have the ball in Warner's hands.

So having said all that, what's my prediction?

Cardinals 24 Steelers 19

I was all prepared to throw a twist and pick the Steelers anyway, but I guess my hate just won't allow it. When I look at this game, I see echoes of the 2005 Super Bowl, and like I said before, I doubt the Steelers get extra help from the refs.

As good as that Steelers defense is, the Cardinals will spread them out, and Warner will make quick, smart throws like he's done all playoffs, mixed in with some effective running.

The Cardinals are going to score, and I don't think the Steelers are going to be able to keep up. Super Bowls usually end up being low scoring, but the Cardinals will make the big plays when they need them.

Bottom line, the Cardinals have the better quarterback and offensive line. I'd also say the defensive lines are a push. Win the battle at the line of scrimmage, and you win the Super Bowl.

And I just really hate the Steelers. Five Super Bowl victories is enough... Read more

SEAHAWKS: Interblog mock draft daily update: picks 7-9 in!

Three more draft picks came in for the Raiders, Jaguars and Packers.

Bill Bong of www.oakland-raider.com , made the choice for the Raiders.

Columnist for SB Nation blog www.bigcatcountry.com, Jonathan Loesche made the pick for the Jaguars.

Rick Stratton is the editor of www.packerbacker.com and made the pick for the Packers.

To view the mock draft click here.


Read more

SEAHAWKS: Mike Holmgren on NBC right now!

In case you forgot, Mike Holmgren signed up to be an analyst on NBC, along with newly retired Colts head coach Tony Dungy.

I've been watching it for a couple minutes and Holmgren seems to be the guy backing the Cardinals and a good offense vs a good defense.

UPDATE: Well, I said I would update this if anything noteworthy happened and something did.

It involved an exchange between Bettis and Holmgren.

To read the exchange...

Analyst: You see the smile on Jerome's face? The smile is even bigger every time he runs into Mike Holmgren this week, Bob.

Analyst: Uhh, low blow

Holmren: I knew we were going there, we didn't have to.

Bettis: Well, Mike, I take a piece of you with me everywhere I go because my super bowl ring has the Seahawks on it.

Holmgren: You know what? I'm touched, that's so touching.

Holmgren looked, to me, definitely more on the pissed side then on the joking side. I couldn't help but share his emotions during the exchange. Bettis - what a class act.

UPDATE: Dwight, from The Office, is a Seahawks fan, check out my crappy cell phone picture. Read more