May 10, 2013; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Michael Bowie (73, middle) and guard Ryan Seymour (62) participate in a rookie minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Breno Giacomini missed another OTA with an injured knee. Pete Carroll says it’s nothing serious, but Giacomini wasn’t even present for the workouts. He was in New York getting getting the knee checked out by a specialist.

Rookie Michael Bowie, a 7th round pick, is taking full advantage of the situation. Bowie has been getting all the first team reps in the workouts, and is likely to continue to get them in the team’s mini-camp next week.

This is a situation to keep an eye for a number of reasons.

For starters, if Giacomini continues to have problems with his knee, it could signal that the problem is worse than is currently believed. The Seahawks are already thin at OT, and losing a presumed starter certainly would help that situation.

Plus, Giacomini isn’t exactly entrenched as the starter. His exact value is debated, but there have been multiple reports that the team wanted to draft his replacement in the 2nd round of the draft, but that all their targets were gone before the Seahawks had a chance to pick.

Giacomini is entering the final year of his contract, and is due $3.5 million this season. While the team clearly isn’t dying to get rid of Giacomini, they’d certainly love to save that cap space to be used to re-sign Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas next offseason.

While the team is already thin at the position, it’s much easier to find a backup than it is to find a starter. If Bowie can pass Giacomini on the depth chart, be that through injury or on-field performance, then don’t be surprised if Giacomini is released. The Seahawks would then have to find a new backup, or preferably, re-sign Giacomini to a contract more fitting his talent level.

Of course, all of this matters very little if Bowie can’t show that he’s ready for playing time. So far he’s decently, but he’s also shown he has a way to go. The talent is there, but playing his senior year at a tiny school that no one had heard of before the draft certainly didn’t help things.

This remains a situation that will be interesting to watch. Hopefully things will be much more settled early in training camp.

December 16, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) against Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Breno Giacomini (68) at the Rogers Centre. Seattle defeated Buffalo 50-17. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

I’ll admit that the number people commenting on this site the last few days in support of Breno Giacomini greatly surprised me. I’ve become used to a generally level of unabashed Breno-hate on the web. I had come to believe I was one of his “supporters” simply because I didn’t want him run out of town on the first available bus.

Views on Breno are obviously disparate. My views land on the side that he’s fairly mediocre and should be replaced as a starter if the team can find a suitable player. I’m also not always right (obviously!), and am willing examine the possibility that I’ve been selling Giacomini’s ability and performance short.

Since I didn’t have 48+ hours (or about 16 if I watched the condensed versions) available to go through all of the Seahawks tape while writing this, I decided to use the data available from Pro Football Focus. They grade every player on every play, so their performance ratings are very comprehensive. I’ve found that their player grades are the best of the advanced metrics that are out there.

Here is a snapshot Giacomini’s performance from 2012 according to PFF. I also compared him to the other full time offensive tackles. (43 qualifying players who played at least 75% of their team’s offensive snaps)

I have to say, the data here is pretty clear. There weren’t a lot of offensive tackles that played worse than he did in 2012. It wasn’t just penalties either. Giacomini wasn’t very good in any aspect of the game. If anything, my view that he was a little below average may have been giving him too much credit.

So lets get this over with. Time to dispel some myths:

Myth 1: He’s a road grader in the running game.

He’s not. Giacomini ended the year with a negative performance rating in run blocking. He was also 32st of 43 full time offensive tackles in run blocking. If you remove the left tackles from the list (which are usually there for their pass blocking) it looks even worse. There were only four right tackles in the NFL that ended the season with a worse performance rating for run blocking.

While run blocking might be his strength, he’s still in the bottom 25% in the NFL.

Myth 2: His pass blocking isn’t that bad for a right tackle.

The above data is pretty clear. He’s among the worst pass blockers in the entire NFL. Even if you look at only right tackles (which are usually not as good as left tackles in terms of pass blocking) it’s still bad. Only two starting right tackles finished with lower pass blocking performance ratings.

Myth 3: His penalty problems got better over the course of the season.

The data doesn’t support this. He had seven penalties in the first half, and five in the second half. He had a negative performance score for penalties in five games in the first half, and four in the second half. That sounds like improvement, but it isn’t statistically significant (which means that the change isn’t enough that it can’t be distinguished from random variance).

The real change was the number of penalty yards given up. Instead of 15 yard personal foul penalties, he was giving up 10 yard holding penalties and 5 yard false start penalties. This leads to the perception that the penalty situation is improved much more than it might have been.

Is Giacomini improving?

This is an interesting question. If he is, then dealing with his shortcomings becomes easier because we can expect better things from him in the future. In this case, the data is fairly inconclusive.

The thing that jumps out to me is that he was more consistent, and had more aspects of his game that were positive in the second half. That suggests improvement. He also had his second worst game of the season in week 17, which suggests otherwise.

The difficult part in trying to learn anything meaningful from the data is that the talent of the opposing team isn’t included. That stretch of generally positive results for Giacomini came during the “soft” part of the Seahawk’s schedule. Did he actually play better? Or was this simply the case of looking better because he played against inferior defenders? I’m not sure.

Like I said above, the data is inconclusive. I think most people will look at that chart and see whatever they thought before looking at the data. It’s called confirmation bias. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Back to whether or not he’s improving. We are talking about a guy who has been in the league for five years. Few players ever improve significantly this far into their career. There is also no discernible change from his 2011 performance data. Both of these facts suggest that even if he does improve for 2013, it would be unreasonable to expect drastic improvement. It could happen, but logic and history suggest it’s exceedingly unlikely.

But what about attitude/intangibles?

This is where Giacomini has the edge. He’s a full-effort guy. He’s mean. He blocks through (and sometimes past) the whistle. These are good things. I like the “edge” that he brings. His demeanor and attitude are a good fit for the running game.

But is that enough?

One thing that I keep hearing about is the positive things that Pete Carroll and Tom Cable said about Breno last season.  I honestly think people are reading too much into those statements. You have to take into account the context of what was going on.

Carroll and Cable were getting pounded by questions about Giacomini’s negative performance. Of course they’re going to be positive. That’s their job. They aren’t going to throw one of their starters under the bus. That isn’t how the NFL works. It’s what we like to call “coach speak,” and Carroll is a master of it.

Also, if you look at the quotes, Carroll praised Breno’s attitude and effort, but not his play. Cable said that Giacomini was the one guy he’d want in a street fight with him, but since when does street fighting correlate to being an NFL tackle?

I think people are reading too much into these quotes, but that’s just my opinion

So what does this all mean?

I think the take-away from all of this is that the Seahawks need to find a long-term solution at the position. Giacomini simply isn’t a quality NFL offensive tackle. There isn’t a nicer way for me to put it.

The Seahawks also know what they have in Breno. They know they can win even if he continues to play at a low level. There’s trust there. I believe that this is why he’s still on the roster. If an upgrade can’t be found, they know they can roll with him at right tackle for another year.

He’s also entering the final year of his contract, and is due significantly more than his play would indicate. The Seahawks need to free up some cap room, and could generate $3.5 million in cap room by replacing him with a rookie or cheap veteran. So while Breno is safe now, that doesn’t mean he’ll remain so.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Giacomini not make the 53 man roster. As long as there is someone who can replace his production (which the above data suggests shouldn’t be hard to find), then there’s no reason to keep his inflated contract on the books.

Dec 9, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the 1st half at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Arizona 58-0. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

This week is Seattle’s final chance to improve on their fairly putrid road record. It comes against a Bills team that has not played up to its talent level, especially on defense, but is no pushover. The Bills are 2-2 in their last four and have played some good games this season, such as there near loss to the Patriots 37-31 on the road in Week 10. On a personal note this will be the 2nd Seahawks game I attend as they have fairly miraculously arrived in my hometown. I also saw them get annihilated 37-14 at the Meadowlands in 2004. Jerry Rice caught a touchdown in that game for Seattle…. That sentence alone is fairly descriptive of how long ago that feels. I am hoping for and fairly confident in seeing a more favorable result today. Let’s get to the matchups.

Matchup #1 Marshawn Lynch vs. Kelvin Sheppard

I can’t claim to have a good idea what’s going on in Lynch’s head but if I were him I might be a little extra motivated to show his old team what they are missing. Not that they are lacking talent at the RB position but they did give up Lynch for a song. Lynch figures to tote the ball 20+ times in this contest and goes up against a very anonymous adversary in Kelvin Sheppard. Sheppard is an unremarkable MLB charged with stopping Lynch up the middle. I don’t have enough information to tell you that Sheppard is a bad player but I can tell you that that in 21 career starts the 2nd year former 6th round pick has all of 1 sack, 0 INT’s, 2 PD, 0 FF and 1 FR. What we have here is a difference-maker against a non difference- maker and I expect Lynch to have a great deal of success against Sheppard and the other Buffalo LB’s today.

Matchup #2: Russell Okung against Mario Williams

Okung has faced many excellent pass rushers this year but I don’t think he’s faced someone as hot at Mario Williams. After taking a great deal of criticism for not living up to his record-breaking contract early in the season, Williams has been insane lately. The talented DE has 6 sacks in the last 4 games bringing his season total to a more than respectable 10.5 with 14 QB hits for good measure. Keeping Wilson protected is essential to Seattle’s success on offense and Okung has his hands full today. Williams is a physical freak in the Julius Peppers mold. He is still in his prime at 27,  and the kind of talent that comes around very rarely. I imagine Okung might have some help from time to time but Pete Carroll, justifiably, has a lot of faith in his LT and tends to leave him alone. If Okung can prevent Williams from being the game changer he is capable of being Seattle will consider that a win.

Matchup #3: Breno Giacomini vs. Mark Anderson

Giacomini is a player I have targeted in this space many times, usually for good reason, and we know what he is at this point. Breno is an undisciplined below average starter at RT, that’s not why this matchup is interesting to me. Personally, I find Mark Anderson’s career path fascinating and completely confusing. As a 5th round pick in 2006, Mark Anderson exploded onto the scene as a rookie in with 12 sacks as a key cog in an unbelievable Chicago Bears defense. Then Anderson fell off the map and for four years. Between 2007 and 2010 Anderson barely beat his rookie total with 13.5 sacks or 3.4 per year. In 2011 the unpredictable DE re-emerged with 10 sacks with the Patriots. This year he has 1 sack in 5 games. At 29 Anderson is a complete enigma. Is he the elite pass rusher he has been twice in his 7 years or the utterly forgettable non-factor he’s been in 5 of them? Let’s hope it’s option two. Also helping Giacomini’s case is the fact Anderson is dealing with a knee issue that has him questionable for this game. My guess would be that Anderson will be unable to provide the bookend presence to assist Mario Williams in this game.

In this road game, sort of, it seems the Seahawks have themselves an opportunity to inch closer to the 49ers with our hated rivals looking at a probably loss at Foxborough today. What they can’t do is look forward to next week’s game that will likely be determining who takes home the division crown. There is a game to be played today and the Bills are not going to roll over like the Cardinals did last week. Although last week I said the Seahawks were in for a closer game than we thought so what do I know? Maybe I should be predicting a 58-0  blowout in order to make sure we see an entertaining close win… Whatever the case I would say that Seattle can, should and will win this game.

Nov 13, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tackle Russell Okung (76) defends against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Ravens 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Today the Seahawks return to the friendly confines of the Clink to take on one of the surprise teams of the season. The Vikings, led by the seemingly indestructible Adrian Peterson, are a formidable opponent but I fully expect the Seahawks to rise to the challenge. Seattle is undefeated at home so far this year and look to keep it that way in order to avoid slipping to 4-5. Let’s take a look at some of the important matchups for today’s game.

Seattle Kickoff Coverage Unit vs. Percy Harvin

The Seahawks tend to field very competent coverage units but today they will have their hands full. Harvin is enough of a headache as a receiver/rusher multi-purpose offensive threat but he’s also downright scary as a kick returner. Harvin has an absolutely ridiculous 35.7 yards a return this year. If that sounds unsustainable consider that he led the league with 32.5 last year. For a frame of reference, our very own elite kickoff return man, Leon Washington, has a career kick return average of 25.7 and his best single season mark is 29.8 which is this year. Percy Harvin is terrifying. The Seahawks need to prevent him from dictating field position all day with disciplined coverage.

Russell Okung vs. Jared Allen

Okung’s season has looked a lot worse than it has actually been due to an unfortunate number of penalties. Okung is a fine LT, whether he’s fine enough to shut down Jared Allen might be a different matter altogether. Allen is coming off a monstrous 22 sack season last year and shows little sign of slowing down with 7 so far this year. Although he recently turned 30 Allen does not appear to be losing a step and has elite athleticism and tenacity. Okung may need some help today from TE’s and RB’s today to keep Allen under control. There is no shame in that. Allen is one of the best defensive players in football right now and as long as Okung can prevent him from wreaking havoc in the backfield all day I’d be happy. Allen will make a play or two today, there is no way to erase him, but he must not take over. Playing against guys like Jared Allen makes me nostalgic for the days of Walter Jones but we make do with what we have…. which happens to be a very talented young LT.

Breno Giacomini vs. Brian Robison

There may be something I’m missing but Giacomini just does not strike me as a quality tackle. That being said the Seahawks need a quality performance today. Jared Allen is likely to occupy the attention of any TE’s or RB’s Seahawks leave in to block. That leaves Giacomini alone with Robison. Robison isn’t a huge threat like Allen but he’s no chump either. He recorded 8 sacks last year and is on pace for the same this year. Giacomini has a lot of size on the smallish Robison (6-3 259) which hopefully he can use to overpower him. Robison is an unheralded but solid veteran who is capable of doing some damage and Giacomini needs to contain him because there will be no help for him. If there is help for him that means that Okung is alone with Allen which the Seahawks can’t afford. Here’s to hoping Giacomini will render Robison quiet rather than quietly effective as he has been this year.

Some of the magic surrounding the Vikings has dissipated in wake of their embarrassing loss to the Buccaneers last week but this is a quality team. One of the best teams in the NFC in fact. The Seahawks could be in a race with them for a wild card spot later this year, which adds importance to this matchup. Let’s not get ahead ourselves though. Let’s just win today.

Oct 7, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin (51) reacts during the first half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

My gut reaction is a little late this week since I’ve been recovering from some injuries sustained over the weekend.  I unfortunately did not get to watch the game live (which somehow throws of my whole week) but thankfully DVRed the Sunday Ticket ShortCuts which is really a great way to re-watch a game.  Thank you, DirecTV.  Anyway, my reaction is therefore not as fully passionate as it is when I live and die with every momentum shift of the game.

From what I did watch our defense is simply ridiculous.  When you watch play after play of Carolina’s offense end-to-end without pauses, it is basically sack, run stuff, incomplete pass due to coverage and QB pressure, punt.  It’s lock down in every way.  So far this season, Seattle’s defense has been the main reason the games have been close. They’ve only given up two touchdowns in five games.  I figure that is going to change a little bit with the next game against the Patriots, but I figure Tom Brady will be hearing Bruce Irvin’s and Chris Clemons’ footsteps on several plays.  It will be a true test and one I think the defense can perform on.  I’d love to see the Legion of Boom get some pick-sixes on Brady to help out our somewhat pathetic offense.

Russell Wilson did look better this week.  It would be hard to look much worse than last week, but he had more yards, more attempts, and even a touchdown.  I loved seeing Zach Miller getting involved as he has been vastly underused.  Sidney Rice also looked good.  Seattle must do better in the red zone.  The lack of touchdowns is absolutely infuriating and there is really no excuse. Seattle needs to make something, anything, happen. I don’t know what changes need to be made to get this done, but the Seahawks need to figure it out, quick.  Last in the league in red zone touchdowns is not a recipe for success. I am also very worried about how Wilson will do against Bill Belichick’s defense. New England is very good at disguising its formations and Wilson will need to stay poised and not panic when the Patriots bring pressure. This will be critical if Seattle has any chance of winning the game.

Have I mentioned how much I absolutely love watching Marshawn Lynch run the ball? It’s cathartic, gratifying, and the only consistent part of our offense at this point.  I just don’t think enough can be said about what Lynch brings to the team and kudos to management for orchestrating the trade that brought him to Seattle.  Without him, this team would be without an identity (on offense), and possibly without a win.

Breno Giacomini needs to get his $h!t together. The personal foul calls are completely out of hand and crippling an already fragile offense. I’m ready to endorse beating him with a sock full of quarters for every yard he costs Seattle. He is clearly the most undisciplined member of the team and, while I admire his competitiveness and hard-ass mentality, if it hurts the team the cost is too great. And it is a certainty that Giacomini has hurt the Seahawks on several occasions this season. I think it is safe to expect some freebie flags given to Brady and the Patriots this weekend so Seattle cannot afford to give up any more.

This was also a must-win game on the road for Seattle against a team that they should have beat much more soundly.  I’d like to see a beat-down like the one issued to the Dallas Cowboys against either the Patriots or the Niners over the next couple weeks.

I should be back to my regularly scheduled rant next week as I plan to be in front of my television in my Seahawks camping chair with my Lynch jersey on for this week’s game against the Patriots. I can’t imagine how loud the Clink is going to get which means its important Seattle stays in the game. They’ll need the noise.

The Seahawks dropped a division contest with the Saint Louis Rams today, going 2-2 this year and 0-2 in the NFC West.

This loss is particularly heart breaking for two reasons…

Analysts will now feel justified in their post game assessments inferring that the Seahawks are not for real in spite of beating Dallas and Green Bay.

The aspects of the game that killed us, were things that we excelled at the last two games…

• Defense on 3rd down
• Special teams
• Quarterback ball management

Add some ridiculous penalties by Breno Giacomini, and you have a game lost that we could have easily won.

Look for Pete Carroll to have a renewed focus on the basics this week as the Hawks prepare for the Panthers on the road next week.

Dec 24, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) during a timeout in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Tomorrow the Seahawks face a Dallas team that looked downright terrifying in Week 1, defeating the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in their season opener by a score of 24-17. Tony Romo continues to put up great numbers and has an excellent array of weapons this year that will pose a big challenge to the talented Seahawks secondary. Although the Seahawks have a lot of dangerous skill players to contain, this game is likely to be won or lost in the trenches. The embattled Seahawks offensive line will need to rebound if Seattle is to have a chance in this game and as such they are the focus of this week’s edition of the “Matchups of the Game”.

Matchup #1: Russell Okung vs. Demarcus Ware

Facing Demarcus Ware is a daunting task at the best of times, but doing it while playing injured is a nightmare. Okung was a full participant in practice on Friday but is listed as questionable and you get sense he’s playing hurt. It’s a shame because Okung has all the talent in the world but just can’t seem to have any luck in terms of injuries. Even if he was healthy he would have his hands full with Ware who is probably the best pass rusher in the NFL with 101.5 sacks in 113 career games. He’s led the NFL in sacks twice and posted 19.5 last year. The reality is that Okung is likely going to need help from TE’s or RB’s if Wilson is going to survive the game. The possibilities for this matchup probably range from a more than respectable stalemate for Okung to ugliness reminiscent of what happened to Chicago in the Thursday night game depending on how Okung’s knee feels.

Matchup #2: Breno Giacomini vs. Anthony Spencer

With Ware coming on the blindside on most downs Giacomini should be seeing a lot of Spencer this Sunday. He will probably have to do so without help as anyone left in to pass protect will be looking to help Okung out with Demarcus Ware. Giacomini struggled mightily in Week 1 and needs a strong performance to secure his starting spot. Frank Omiyale isn’t an especially attractive alternative but Giacomini has yet to establish himself as a starter in the NFL and what we saw last week isn’t acceptable. That being said it was only one game and everyone is entitled to a mulligan. Spencer is a player who is often talked about as someone who could break out rushing across from Demarcus Ware, but he is 28 now and has never exceeded 6 sacks in a season. I think that makes a breakout fairly unlikely at this point, more likely Spencer has settled in as a solid starter and moderate pass rushing threat. If Giacomini can’t deal with a player like that we should be asking ourselves why he’s starting at RT. As a converted TE Giacomini should have the quickness to compete 3-4 OLBs like Spencer and I’d like to see him erase his man this week

Matchup #3: Marcus Trufant vs. Kevin Ogletree

The nickel corner may not technically be considered a starter but in today’s passing heavy NFL it is an enormously important position. I think the jury’s out on what Trufant has left, but he has carved out a role for himself on this team despite Pete Carroll’s aptitude for finding young, talented and inexpensive defensive backs. His opposition this week is fantasy football darling Kevin Ogletree. After a shocking 114 yard 2 TD performance against the Giants Ogletree has put himself on the national radar and as the 3rd WR in Dallas’s stacked offense he has a chance to have a solid year. I’m not quite believing he’s the next big thing though as he has been around since 2009 and had only 294 receiving yards to his credit over his first three seasons. This week will provide insight into the real Kevin Ogletree and with any luck Trufant will reveal him to be a flash in the pan.

The Seahawks are in for a very difficult game tomorrow and although it’s too early to call any game a must-win, going 0-2 would be a serious impediment to any playoff aspirations. If the offensive line can keep it together perhaps we can see the Russell Wilson we came to know and love during the preseason. If not, it’s going to be a long day.

Dec 24, 2011, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) participates in pregame warmups against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

The final preseason game is usually merely a final tune-up, most important to players desperately clinging to the bottom of the roster. With the quarterback competition all wrapped up this game feels fairly anti-climactic but there are some interesting roster battles to observe. It’s also our last chance to see the Seahawks before they take the regular season plunge and our last to chance to not care if they lose. Despite that fact, losing to the Raiders just feels wrong. Without further ado, here is this week’s edition of Matchups of the Game.

Matchup #1: Richard Sherman vs. Darrius Heyward-Bey

The disadvantage of the big corners that Pete Carroll prefers is the ever present risk of getting beat down the field by receivers with elite speed. If there is anything Heyward-Bey has it’s elite speed. Many laughed at Oakland when they selected Heyward-Bey 7th overall in the 2009 draft, believing that he was a late first round value at best. To his credit, he developed into a very productive receiver last year with 975 yards despite missing two games. Heyward-Bey’s calling card is his world-class 4.25 speed which easily trumps Sherman’s 4.54 mark. That gap in raw speed makes me nervous, but luckily for Sherman there is more to football than running extremely fast. Sherman has the ability to dominate receivers with his physicality and Heyward-Bey is not very large or particularly strong. It is the sort of scenario where Sherman could bully Heyward-Bey all game at the line of scrimmage, but if Heyward-Bey blows by him just once it will be considered a rough game for Sherman. Considering neither of them will play all game it’s probably most likely that Sherman holds his man in check for a couple of series.

Matchup #2: Braylon Edwards vs. Ron Bartell

This is a battle of two players trying to re-establish their value in the latter portion of their careers. Bartell is 30 and trying to rebound from a gruesome neck injury. Edwards, 29, is attempting to bounce back from an off-year and some questions about his character. Bartell was a very effective corner with St.Louis and has the size, at 6-1, to compete with Edwards on balls in the air. Since the departure of T.O Edwards looks fairly likely to make the team but having a good game today certainly wouldn’t do him any harm. He has made some big catches so far this preseason but producing against a quality corner with size will help prove Edwards is more than just a big target. Receiver reclamation projects are something of a specialty of Pete Carroll and Edwards can help continue that tradition with a good performance today.

Matchup # 3: Breno Giacomini vs. Lamarr Houston

Giacomini has come into his own over the last few years, perhaps due to the fact he is a converted tight-end who didn’t play offensive tackle until his senior year of college at Louisville. He started 8 games for the Seahawks last year and looked competent doing so. His opposition is Lamarr Houston, a well thought of DT coming out of college that Oakland converted to a big DE, sort of in the mold of Red Bryant. Houston made an encouraging debut in 2010 but regressed last year. Apparently he has lost a lot of weight in hopes of putting the production levels of his “sophomore slump” in the past. Giacomini is probably quicker on his feet but Houston could likely have some success with the bull rush against the 6-7 Giacomini. Houston is a talented and unusual DE who will be a nice last challenge for the Seahawk OT before we start with the games that matter.

This game is more important to the guys fighting for their livelihoods rather than the established players that figure to play the biggest role with this year’s Seahawks. That being said, depth is exceedingly important in a game as violent as football, and while some of last roster spots may seem inconsequential now, the players at the bottom of the roster may well be playing big roles by the end of the year. So when you are watching this game don’t complain about watching all the backups because these guys are a play or two for starting for your 2012 Seattle Seahawks. Every player on the 53-man roster is important and as a result so too is this game.

Nov 6, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Seahawks tackle James Carpenter (75) in action against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

“James Carpenter is a Guard, not a Tackle.” That’s a quote from me 15 months ago when Carpenter was draft by the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks, at least partially, disagreed.

Carpenter split time between guard and tackle last year in training camp, started week 1 at LG, and then spend the rest of the year at RT until he blew out his knee. Now, it seems they’ve finally decided to move him to guard permanently.

John Schneider, in a radio interview this morning, said that Carpenter will be a LG when he finally recovers from his injury. Breno Giacomini is the team’s starting RT, and will be no matter what happens to Carpenter.

This is a good move for the Seahawks. Carpenter has all the makings of a pro-bowl guard. What he doesn’t have, and didn’t have even before his injury, is the lateral quickness to shut down the game’s fastest edge pass rushers. He was never going to be great tackle, I think that is pretty clear at this point.

What wasn’t said was when Carpenter will be back from his injury. The team has danced around that question every time it’s been asked, but from what I saw at camp, it’s not going to be any time soon.

Carpenter’s injured leg is considerably smaller than his healthy one. There has been a tremendous amount of muscle atrophy, and it’s going to take some time, and serious work, to get that muscle mass back. I don’t don’t for a second that Carpenter will put in the work, but it’s the time that worries me.

After seeing that, Carpenter will most certainly be put on the PUP list to start the season. Even if his knee is ready to allow him to begin putting in that work right now, and there’s no sign that it is, there’s no way he’s ready to begin playing by week 1.

Being placed on the PUP list, and not on IR, gives Carpenter time to get healthy. It also gives him a deadline to be ready to play, or else his entire 2012 season will be lost. IF he can’t get his leg in shape and get cleared to practice w/o restriction by week 10, then Carpenter will have to be placed on IR and will not play at all in 2012.

May 11, 2012; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll speaks with defensive end Bruce Irvin (51) following a minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Watching the college film on Bruce Irvin it looked like his game was all about speed. He was simply too fast for the college level competition, he didn’t need any other moves. That wont be case in the NFL, so to reach his potential Irvin will need to develop some additional pass rush moves. It seems that is happening fast than anyone expected.

In practice Irvin was working against Right Tackle Breno Giacomini. He was rushing to the outside over and over, and noticed that Giacomini was cheating to the outside to try and negate Irvin’s speed rush, so Irvin crossed up Giacomini. He started to the outside with a half-step to get the tackle moving, then crossed back to the inside getting a clean path the QB for what would have been an easy sack.

It might seem like an obvious thing for a guy like Irvin to do, but I never saw anything like it on the tape from him in college. He’s learning these moves right now, and this one appears ready for Sundays. What was so impressive was the timing. Irvin’s change of direction came right when Giacomini’s feet were in just the right part of step to make his response as slow as it could be.

Make no mistake, Giacomini is no pushover. He was given a contract befitting a starter because he’d earned it last season. By the end of the season he has developed into an above average tackle. If you’re still thinking of him as the roster-filler player he was when the Seahawks signed him, then you’re mistaken. Giacomini is a solid NFL starter.

Irvin has been getting all the snaps with the first team defense, and is clearly taking full advantage of the opportunity. “It’s just expanding my game,” Irvin said after the practice, “Trying to get more moves instead of just using the speed rush. And also to work on my hands more and become more a technician, instead of being so raw.”

It just really feels like he gets it, and is going to be a special player.

Breno even discusses his former teammate of the Green Bay Packers Matt Flynn in the interview. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

There is a great interview between John Clayton and Seahawks OT Breno Giacomini on 710 ESPN Seattle. I found it very interesting and I think other Hawks fans will as well. If you didn’t get a chance to listen to it already check it out here (skip up to 27 minutes and 20 seconds to get to the interview). Oh make sure you read Keith’s article on the re-signing of Giacomini as well, this really is good news. Let me know what you guys think!

Up next for the Seahawks is the NFL Scouting Combine. Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, the entire league can finally turn it’s attention to getting each roster ready for 2012.

The first thing on the agenda is the NFL Draft Scouting Combine that takes place at the end of the month. It will also be at the combine that we learn the results of the coin flip that will decide if the Seahawks pick 11th or 12th in the first round of draft.

Over the next couple weeks, we should begin hearing about negotiations taking place on new contracts with players who were on the Seahawks roster last season. Key free agents include Marshawn Lynch, David Hawthorne, Michael Robinson and Red Bryant. Paul McQuistan and Breno Giacomini are also high on the team’s wish list of players to be brought back.

At the same time, the Seahawks are likely to trim a few roster spots held by veteran players with contracts that aren’t cap friendly. Marcus Trufant and Mike Williams are candidates to be cut, though neither is a certainty.

I should also note that any player cut during this process (like perhaps Peyton Manning) does not have to wait until free agency to begin before negotiating with other teams. Therefore, it’s possible that we’ll see a couple of new players signed in the next few weeks, thought I seriously doubt the Seahawks will do so.

Pro Football Focus, a site dedicated to a statistical analysis of football, puts together an All PFF-team each week, given to the players who do the most to at their position to help their team win. They don’t use traditional stats at all. They look play by play and “grade” ever block, every route run, etc. It’s pretty cool the way they do things. Well guess who made the All-PPF team this week with the best performance by an offensive tackle in the NFL? that’s right, Breno Giacomini!

Tackles:  Levi Brown, ARZ (+5.2) and Breno Giacomini, SEA (+5.2)

Yes you are reading the team of the week, and no I haven’t got my tackles mixed up with those who should be appearing on the ‘Had a Bad Day’ team. Brown, who is playing better than he ever has, was near flawless against Cleveland, while Giacomini looked the part against the Bears. Two things I didn’t expect heading into the week.

You can find the original article HERE.

The Seahawks have not announced exactly who is going to be playing which position along the line on Monday, but it is pretty easy to put together a reasonable guess. Obviously Unger will stay at center, and Gallery will remain at LG. It also seems likely that Breno Giacomini will also stay at RT.

It’s the other 2 positions where things are less clear. Paul McQuistan seems to be the swing player in all of this. If the team chooses to leave him at RG, then Jariel King will start at LT. But McQuistan can also play tackle, so the Seahawks may choose to move him over to LT and bring in someone else to play RG.

It is that second option that I believe is what is going to happen. (more…)

LG Robert Gallery is back from his knee injury and will start. Rookie James Carpenter will move back over to Right Tackle. There’s no guarantee that Carpenter will play the entire game there, though, as there’s a possiblity that either Tyer Polumbus or Breno Giacmini could come in if Carpenter struggles.

The other big piece of injury news is that LB Will Hawthorne returns from his ankle injury and start at MLB. Rookie K.J. Wright will move over the weak side, and split time with Leroy Hill.

The returns of Gallery and Hawthorne are not small news. Both are key players and leaders on the field.