Reggie Williams is interested in coming back to the Pacific Northwest to play football with the Seahawks?
“Of course, I’d like to come back and play for the Seahawks,” Reggie Williams recently told reporters, expressing a desire to play back home. “I’d definitely like to come back to the West Coast and play. It seems like I haven’t been there in so long. I went from one extreme to the next when you go from Seattle to Florida. So the West Coast is definitely an option.”
Not so fast.
As much as I’d like to see Williams, a former local prep star and [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence

Best of luck in Detroit, Maurice.

Maurice Morris is no longer a Seattle Seahawk. On Friday evening, the running back agreed to a three-year, $7 million contract with the Detroit Lions. Morris, who will be entering his eighth season out of Oregon, will turn 30 years old later this year.
Not an extremely surprising loss for the Seahawks, who had likely already made plans to press forward without the former second round pick. With a new approach offensively, it appears as if the Seahawks feel comfortable going with the Duckett/Jones combination next season. Morris was always a Holmgren guy, [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence
According to several reports, free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is in Seattle today. Houshmandzadeh, considered by most to be the best receiver available in free agency, lists Seattle among his list of favorable destinations, which also includes New York (Giants), San Francisco, Miami, and Philadelphia.
Houshmandzadeh, along with his list of preferred teams, also told the media what he is looking for in a new team: a talented quarterback, a strong coach, an aggressive offensive system, and the ability to win (he HAS been stuck in Cincinnati his whole career). Unfortunately for Seattle, they’re bringing in a [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence
Okay, so maybe the free agent wish list that I recently assembled was a little optimistic. Teams are beginning to focus more on retaining their own talent, proven by an unprecedented fourteen players being given the franchise tag this year. As a result, a majority of the big names are no longer available. A quick recap of how things have developed regarding my wish list of potential free agents:

Player
2008 Team
Status

Jordan Gross
Carolina
Re-signed with Carolina (6 years, nearly $60 million)

Nnamdi Asomugha
Oakland
Re-signed with Oakland (3 years, $45.3 million)

Julius Peppers
Carolina
Designated franchise player by Carolina

T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Cincinnati
Set to become a free agent, Cincinnati [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence

Oh, I forgot to mention …

It appears that although Michael Crabtree will not work out at the NFL Combine, he WILL be the player making the most headlines until the draft. Yet more news about the receiver from Texas Tech has been released, most of which contradicts what I wrote in my last post.
The latest: Crabtree will run for scouts before the draft. I previously posted that he would not run, opting for surgery instead. From Crabtree on Sunday:

“I come in today involving my injury report,” he said. “It’s an old injury I’ve been having. I’ve never [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence
The news for Michael Crabtree just keeps getting worse. During a medical exam conducted on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, it was revealed that Crabtree has the beginning stages of a stress fracture in his left foot that will require a screw to be surgically inserted to stabilize the area.
To make matters worse, Crabtree, whose stock was almost entirely dependent on his 40-yard dash time, will not be able to run for 8-10 weeks. According to sources, Crabtree will likely take a more conservative approach to the healing process, and allow an entire 10 weeks for [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence
Michael Crabtree. 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. A body that resembles Larry Fitzgerald. Potential to be a dominant wide receiver in the NFL.
Uh, no
Well, at least for part of it.
Michael Crabtree, who was listed at 6-foot-3 in the Texas Tech media guide, unpredictably measured in at 6-1 3/8 at the NFL combine. Crabtree is regarded by most as the best receiver in this year’s class, but he isn’t off to a very good start in proving his worth; he isn’t even going to work out at the combine, opting to wait until his Pro Day at Texas Tech instead.
I’m [...]

Posted by: Shaun Dolence
The Seahawks have designated Leroy Hill as their franchise player, which will keep him from leaving the team (without compensation) during free agency.
The franchise tag means that Hill will still be allowed to negotiate with other teams, but the Seahawks will be allowed to match any offer. If they decline to match an offer, they are entitled to two first round draft choices in exchange. The Seahawks will likely attempt to work out a long-term deal with Hill before next season.
With the franchise tag, Hill will be tendered a minimum $8.3 million in 2009, the average salary [...]

Regarding the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, you can catch all of the coverage on the NFL Network (if you have a capable cable service provider).
NFL Network Scouting Combine Schedule:
February 20th – Senior Bowl replay @ 8pm
February 21st – K, OL, TE @ 11am, 4pm, 8pm, and 11pm
February 22nd – RB, QB, WR @ 11am, 4pm, 8pm, 11pm, and 2am
February 23rd – DL and LB @ 11am, 4pm, 8pm, 11pm, and 2am
February 24th – DB @ 11am, 4pm, 8pm, 11pm, and 2am
February 25th – Combine Wrap Up @ 8pm

Posted by: Shaun Dolence
Owen Schmitt may very well be Seattle’s starting full back next year. Leonard Weaver is a free agent, and although it seems as if re-signing him is a priority this off season, it may not be reality. Weaver’s agent, Harold Lewis, was recently quoted in an article at Pro Football Weekly:
“As far as him staying in Seattle, I’m sure Leonard would be very happy,” Lewis told PFW. “But just being a realist, I don’t see it.” The reality, according to Lewis, is that Weaver shapes up as a potentially hot commodity on the open market. “He’s more [...]