Would it be better for the team if they drafted a deep threat at WR? Of course it would be. A player with the speed to stretch the defense would make the entire offense better. It would keep at least 1 safety back, opening up more space for the rest of the team to use.

But does that mean that all non-deep threat WRs are off the board? Certainly not.

By my count, the Seahawks had 11 different receivers on the 53 man roster last season, and all by 3 failed to make a meaning contribution to the offense. Clearly, the Seahawks need to add talent to the position, and not just 1 new guy. Thus, drafting a guy like Woods doesn’t mean the Seahawks wouldn’t look to add deep threat later in the draft or in free agency.

Plus, rosters are fluid entities. Things change.

Golden Tate is coming off a good year, but is due to be a free agent at the end of the season. His good year last year also follows 2 dismal years. It isn’t necessarily safe to simply assume he “continues to develop” next season rather than “regressing to the mean.” Yes, it is more likely that he continues to improve, but if that happens what will be his market value a year a from now when he’s a free agent. Will the Seahawks have the cap space to keep him?

Also, this position group isn’t “1 player away” from being an elite group, because it simply doesn’t have an elite player in the group. I like Doug Baldwin and Sydney Rice as much as anyone, but lets be honest with ourselves. Baldwin is great, but he’s not in the same class as Wes Welker or Danny Amendola in terms of slot recceivers.

Similarly, Rice has some elite skills, but he isn’t in the same category as Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, or AJ Green. Rice is also expensive. If the Seahawks are going to continue to be a Super Bowl contender for many years, they’re either going to need to get more out of the $9.7 mil they are paying him, or they’ll need to replace his production at a cheeper cost.

Put all of those things together, and it becomes clear that decreasing the draftable talent pool at WR by only being willing to draft a deep threat just doesn’t make sense. The Seahawks simply need to add talent, regardless of what that talent look like.

Yes, Robert Woods would be redundant. He also would make the position group better as a whole. He would also provide insurance in case Tate regresses or decides to walk as a free agent after next season. And even if neither of those things happen Woods would still be better than 8 of the receivers that spent time on Seattle’s roster last season.

Keenan Allen similarly be an upgrade overall, as well and providing insurance in case Rice gets hurt. He could also offer the Seahawks a low cost alternative to Rice in 2014 when the Seahawks will need the cap space to re-sign Thomas and Sherman, or in 2015 when it’ll be time to re-sign Russell Wilson.

Do you really want to completely rule out these players simply because they don’t perfectly compliment the players that will be on the roster in 2013?

I’m sorry, I just can’t get behind being that short sighted. If the Seahawks are going to be the perennial contender that we want them to be, and that the coaches and front office personnel want them to be, then they have to be able to continuously acquire talent at every position, and not try and fill some checklist of immediate needs.

Like I said above, if the Seahawks can do both, then that’s even better. Tayvon Austin or Cordarrelle Patterson would be an ideal fit. Both can stretch the field and offer a new element to the Seahawk offense. Both, obviously, offer more value to to the Seahawks than other WRs in the class.

But the problem is what happens if those 2 aren’t available when the Seahawks are finally on the clock? If those guys are gone, should the Seahawks just skip the other talented players at the position?

When you think of it that way, then I hope it’ll make some sense. And yes, I’m going to keep profiling WRs that will be interesting to the Seahawks, even some that aren’t deep threats.

Dec 9, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice (18) participates in pregame warmups against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

At CB, the Seahawks are already without veteran Marcus Trufant who remains out with a fairly serous hamstring injury. Now, new starter Walter Thurmond to the concerns. Turmond was limited in practice on Wednesday with a hamstring injury, and then did not practice at all on Thursday. If both are out, and with Brandon Browner suspended, the Seahawks will be relying on Jeremy Lane to at CB on Sunday.

The news is only slightly better at WR. Sydney Rice has not practiced all week because of a foot injury. He was reportedly wearing a walking boot at Wednesday’s practice, though it was gone for Thursday’s workout. One of the players who would be expected to play in Rice’s absence is Charly Martin, who is also injured with a calf problem. It is now highly possible that the Seahawks go into Sunday’s game with just 3 healthy receivers.

DE Re Bryant and SS Kam Chancellor have both sat out of practice all week as well, while Marshawn Lynch was limited. All three are expected to play on Sunday.

Dec 2, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Nate Collins (left) and defensive end Israel Idonije (right) pressure Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Seahawks won 23-17 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

You could almost hear the outraged Seahawks fans screaming at their television sets.  It seemed like lady luck was just not with the  Hawks today.  The referees seemed to be making every possible call against the Seahawks and none for them.  Balls dropped by the Bears seemed to be magnetically attracted back into their hands.  A couple times the Seahawks came out of a pile with the ball on a fumble and a muffed kick but for some inexplicable reason the ball was awarded to the Bears.  It was just “one of those days” the Seahawks and their fans have suffered through many times in the past, most notably in their Super Bowl loss, and most recently last week vs. Miami.

But something strange happened on the way to another infamous Seattle loss.  They somehow got the plays they needed at just the right time.  Like the big defensive stop in the first half that halted a Bears drive inside the Seahawks 30.  And there were the numerous Russell Wilson runs for first downs.  Then there was the offensive pass interference call on the Bears Brandon Marshall against Richard Sherman that helped end a second half Bears threat.

And then came what most fans thought would be the game winning score that capped a 97 yard drive; an incredible catch and run by… you guessed it, Golden Tate.   This guy always has at least one amazing catch and run, and today was no different.  Catching the ball at the 10 yard line, spinning and weaving through a matrix of Bears defenders, and finishing with a horizontal dive and stretch into the end zone.  Hawks up by 3 with 26 seconds left to play.  We WIN!!!  Right???  Not so fast!  After the kickoff, which the Seahawks covered well by tackling the Bears return man on the 15, Bears QB Jay Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for a 56 yard strike to around the Seahawks 30.  A short run to kill some clock and the Bears hit a 46 yard field goal to tie up the game and send it to overtime.  You may notice some people walking around Seattle tomorrow with large clumps of their hair missing.  They are Seahawks fans and this turn of events is why…

Now for the sake of full disclosure, this is when I turned off the TV set, got my son and our fishing poles and went fishing.  The Seahawks just don’t ever seem to win after things like this happen and I didn’t want to see it after they seemingly had it in the bag!  By the time we got our gear and ourselves in the car, got the radio on and were heading for the freeway, Russell Wilson was driving the Hawks who had just gotten a delay of game penalty.  ”Yep, true to form”, I said.  Seems like every time in these close games when the Hawks need to execute and focus, the penalties come in droves and they start going backwards.  Not this time.  Running for a couple first downs to keep drives alive and throwing with deadly precision, Wilson quickly had them in scoring position.  At this point the air was starting to leave the Bears stadium for a second time in 10 minutes.  Seahawks fans got the feeling something special might be about to happen.  And it did, but at a cost yet to be determined.

From about the 15 or 20 Wilson threw a dart to Sydney Rice who made the reception, barely getting the ball in the end zone before a crushing hit appeared to knock him out cold.  (Rice later said he never lost consciousness).  The scary moment when Rice went limp on the ground overshadowed the potential score.  As the refs scoured the replay for what Hawks fans must surely have thought was any excuse not to award the Hawks the score, Rice came around and sat up, and was able to walk off the field.  After taking an inordinately long time, the replay official finally awarded the Hawks the TD.  GAME OVER!

Nothing came easy for Seattle today.  Not for the Seahawks or their fans at home watching.  But these are the kind of games that build character and show that if you persevere you can overcome adversity.  Yeah, I should have delayed my fishing trip a few minutes…  Next time I should have a little more faith in the Seahawks, especially Mr. DangeRuss Wilson, whose leadership on this team just paid a huge dividend.  Not only did he deliver the win, he delivered the spark of confidence this team will need to get into the playoffs.

Now that we’re in the bye part of our season, I wanted to take a moment to evaluate what we know we have… and have not.

We have not: a quarterback controversy. In fact, yesterday I heard sports radio commentators remarking that the Jets switching out quarterbacks during a drive was actually disruptive and created a stall in drives. This was followed by advice to commit to your quarterback just like Seattle did with Wilson… that it would have been the height of stupidity to bring Flynn in just to see what he had. Hind sight is a wonderful thing! It hasn’t been that many weeks since Seattle sports commentators were calling for Flynn to play just to see what he had.

We have: an unseasoned quarterback. As good as Wilson is performing, he’s still a rookie and there will be mistakes. There were certainly plays in the first half of the Jets game where he struggled, holding on to the ball too long, not sliding when he ran for yardage, missing open receivers down field.

We have: A quarterback with amazing ability to implement learned information in the middle of a game. In spite of his youth and inexperience in the NFL, Wilson isn’t one to continually make mistakes. He has an amazing ability to filter information and implement it immediately.

We have not: a solid receiver corp. Although we have some excellent receivers, injury has kept us from being solid at this position. While Rice and Tate have been consistent, Edwards and Baldwin have been only spotty contributors (injuries) even though both looked great in training camp. Meanwhile Kearse remains untested after drops in the Viking game.

We have: An amazing Tight End. Zack Miller is golden. Whether blocking, running routes or catching the ball, he’s a favorite target down the middle and with his size, a difficult player to bring down.

We have: an amazing defense. Even though they have faced questions regarding how good they really are (optimus prime) they continue to be formidable opponents; opportunists with great speed, size and a desire to hold other team scoreless…

We have: a fantastic owner/front office.

We have: a much needed week off to heal injuries and prepare for the home stretch.

We have: a chance to be a 10-6 team! Or 11-5!

Who’s  excited?!

It turns out that having players get open was not a problem for the Seahawks. In fact, I can make this much definitive: There was not a single pass play in the first half without at least 1 open receiver. Now, I’ll prove it.

Before I get into this, make sure you check out Hawkblogger’s post on drops. I think he shows pretty definitively that, besides on the 4th down play at the end of the game, the rest of the game the receivers actually bailed out their QB and were not a problem in terms of catching the ball.

There were 4 pass plays in the first quarter that didn’t also include a PI penalty. One was the diving catch by Sydney Rice on a tipped ball right at the beginning of the quarter and another was a first of the 2 backwards pass problems that Wilson had in the game. The other 2 show exactly what I was talking about:

Here, Wilson stares down Sydney Rice, and never looks the other way, and ends up throwing into double coverage. If you look at the top of the picture, there’s a wide open receiver had Wilson bothered to look up there. His pre-snap read showed that there was going to be double coverage to the right, and single coverage on the other side, so there was no reason for him force the ball to Rice. There also wasn’t enough pressure to hurry the throw.

On the next drive, Wilson gets is right:

It’s a little tough to see in the picture since you can’t see the play develop in a still frame, but 3 of the 5 receivers are covered. The 4th (right next to the 40) has a player driving on the route, so even if the pass is complete it isn’t going to be for much. The final player, again Sydney Rice (circled) is open. Wilson made the right read here, and hits Rice in stride for an 11 yard gain.

The 2nd Quarter wasn’t any different, though there were more passes and thus more pics for me to mark up. Again, I threw out the plays with penalties and I also am not considering the Hail Mary pass at the end of the half.  Lets take a look:

This play is a relative bonanza of open receivers for Russell Wilson to pick from. He doesn’t pick any of them, choosing instead to throw the ball deep to Ben Obomanu (bottom left of the picture) for the incompletion. This was an easy 20+ yard gain had he thrown the ball over the middle to the player who was wide open.

I underlined Sydney Rice, who was tightly covered, but had inside position and was able to make a good catch on the play, but 5 yards further downfield is a wide open Braylon Edwards. There was an obvious mixup on the coverage, and the Seahawks didn’t take advantage.

 This is the closest play in the entire first half to there not being an open receiver. There is one in the center of the field, which I’ve circled, because of another Cardinal coverage mistake. The only person covering the receiver is the umpire, which doesn’t count. On this play, Wilson waits too long, runs around for a while, and then throws the ball away, al of which could have been avoided had he thrown the ball quickly. (Also notice the good pass protection here)

Finally the last real play of the first half. I’ve circled the 2 open players. Wilson chooses correctly and takes the deep option for a big gain to Zach Miller at the point I marked. Had he wanted to, he also could have taken either of the deep outside options since both receivers had a step on the corners, but the safeties didn’t start moving to the center until it became clear that Miller was going to be open, making the 2 outside players appear covered for most of the play.

The 2nd half was much of the same, except it included much more of Wilson making the right read, or at least a good read, and thus the offense was much more efficient. I think it should be pretty clear that receivers were getting open in the 2nd half since the Seahawks were able to move the ball much more consistently.

The half  also included about 3 times as many plays that I would need to mark up and write about, and it’s already getting late here, my laptop battery is almost dead, and this article is already looking extremely long. So I don’t think I’m going to take the time to include them. Trust me though, the trend of receivers being open was quite consistent in the 2nd half as well.

I don’t want people to think that this is some sort of anti-Wilson article. It’s not. The kid made some mistakes, but he also made some great plays. It the type of thing you get with a rookie. He’ll get better. I believe that. This article is entirely about pointing out that the receivers did their job.

The receivers clearly were not the problem against the Cardinals. You’re going to have to find a new scapegoat.

Hello 12^th man! I’m pleased to report the Hawks are alive, well and totally awesome!

I know there’s been a lot of talk about the quarterback controversy from the local media. After watching this morning’s practice I think the only controversy is how to play Flynn, Tjack and Wilson in every game. They are all that good. I only saw one ball intercepted today, thrown by TJack. The throw was great, but he waited too long and Earl Thomas got under it. I also saw Tjack throw multiple long, tight spirals that made me want to weep, they were that beautiful. Flynn looks fluid, and quick. He also has a beautiful spiral and looks to be working well in the system. Wilson looked surprisingly comfortable and contrary to other reports I’ve read, is able to roll out of the pocket with no sign of panic and gets the ball down field! He threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Golden in the very corner of the end-zone. It was awesome!

I also saw quite a bit of Portis and was especially pleased to see him throwing some nice out routes to Rice on the far practice field. Rice himself looked strong, not only running long routes, but tossing the ball back to Portis. I think the Seahawks are right to be cautious with him, but I think his shoulders are well rehabbed.

Sherman again stood out with his speed off the line and his presence in drills and practice snaps.

Saw Braylon Edwards catch an extremely athletic, over-the-back catch in which he was fully arched backwards in the air and came down totally vertical with feet in bounds looking sharp! Dude is impressive.

Also impressed by Kregg Lumpkin who is sporting Forsett’s former #20. Good size and quick off the line. Marshawn  looks strong and capable, running upright and smooth through the opposing defense. At one point he put his arm out like he was going to do a stiff arm but pulled it back at the last minute. He’s ready!

Tate, Lockette and Obomanu also looking good running routes for the QB’s in early drills. I’m very optimistic about our wide receiver corps even if we don’t have the stand out, no-brainer wide receiver everyone thinks we should have.

What we do have is a team. And instead of relying on “this one guy”, Pete and John have built a team of possibilities and depth. Knock one guy out; the next one is just as capable.

I can’t wait for this season!

Nov 6, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll congratulates defensive end Chris Clemons (91) on a defensive stop against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

1) Will Chris Clemons Get Re-Signed? For a while, I operated under the belief that even if Chris Clemons didn’t get a new deal, he’d still report to camp. Now, I don’t believe that’s the going to be the case. When Clemons sat out the mandatory minicamp in June, he didn’t just lose out on the $100k workout bonus that we believed he did. According to this report, Clemons also forfeited a contract escalator, meaning that he’s going to make $1 Million less in 2012.

Clemons giving up a million changes the game. It indicated that he’s likely going to dig in his heals and hold out for as long as it takes to get a new contract, because the new contract will give him that million back.

2) The Ongoing Marshawn Lynch Saga. This site has already covered all aspects of the Marshawn Lynch DUI story over the past few days. The only thing added today was that Lynch came out and apologized, which isn’t very newsworthy, but at least it did happen.

There isn’t likely going to be anything new happen between now and the start of camp, but the situation is worth keeping an eye on anyways. Will the Seahawks bring in another back “just in case?” Will the league make a statement regarding a possible suspension? Will Lynch’s lawyers successfully put off all the legal proceedings until after the season?

3) People Recovering From Injuries. It’s a tough time of year for some players. While their teammates are back working and getting ready for a new season, they are stuck rehabbing old injuries that aren’t healed yet.

Some, like James Carpenter and Walter Thurmond are still a long ways away from recovered. These 2 are almost certainly going to start the season on the Physically Unable to Preform (PUP) list.

But for others, the last month has been a race to try and get healthy before workout begins. This includes guys like Sydney Rice who’s recovering from 2 shoulder surgeries. It also includes offensive linemen John Moffitt and Russell Okung, who participated in non-contract drills a month ago, but must now show that they’re healed enough to hold up once the hitting begins.

4) Any Last Second Roster Tweaks. The John Schneider era in Seattle has been one of constant roster flux. Schneider never seems content with the players he has, and always seems to be looking to improve the roster in one way or another. Are there any players available out there right now that are worth a roster spot?

5) Where Will Brian Banks Land? After going through tryouts for at least 3 teams last month, Banks remained unsigned. Pete Carroll said that Banks had a long way to go to get into football shape before the Seahawks might be interested. Well, it’s been a month, and Banks has been working out trying to get ready for another round of tryouts. The guy deserves a shot, I just wonder which team it will be with.

Like you really needed more proof that Rice is awesome. Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

There are lots of ways to judge receivers: yards, TDs, catches, drops, etc. Yards is the most common way of judging them, but that doesn’t take into account injuries, or if a player can’t get on the field because of a coaches decision, not to mention other variables the receiver can’t control like who their QB is.

To get around this, the guys over at Pro Football Focus have devised another way of comparing pass catchers: yards per route run. It’s not perfect, as it still doesn’t account for things like QB and offensive line play, but it’s better than simply using yards.

It turns out, that over the past 3 years, Sydney Rice is the 10th best WR in the league in yards per route run, despite having Tarvaris Jackson as his QB for about half of those games. That’s better than guys like Vincent Jackson and Greg Jennings, who play with much better QBs.

On the other end of the spectrum is SF’s Ted Ginn, who was 6th worst in the NFL. Not that it matters, but any chance to bash on the niners must be taken, right?

When it comes to TEs, the new isn’t quite so good for the Seahawks. Neither Kellen Winslow nor Zach Miller made the list as one of the league’s top 15 TEs, which is a little surprising.

Meanwhile former Seahawk TEs Chris Baker and John Carlson are among the worst TEs in the league in that regard, finishing 6th and 9th from the bottom respectfully.

How awesome would Harvin look in Seahawk Blue? Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Minnesota’s Percy Harvin wants to get traded to a new team. Seattle needs less quantity and more quality at the receiver position. On the surface at least, it would seem like a good fit.

Seattle could use a playmaker of Harvin’s ability. He is everything that the Seahawks though Golden Tate might develop into, and then some.  Harvin would be the perfect compliment to Sydney Rice. If that pairing sounds familiar, it’s because it should. Both played under Seahawk’s offensive coordinator Darrell Bevel with the Vikings.

The Seahawks also have something to offer the rebuilding vikings that they could use. On top of a draft pick, the Seahawks could throw in receivers like Tate and Deon Butler. Both of them are young, playing on cheep contracts, good enough to play for the Vikings, and not likely to earn a roster spot in Seattle if Harvin is here.

Personally, I think Harvin’s request is going to go unanswered. There’s no way that the Vikings trade their 2nd best offensive player (behind Adrian Peterson of course) when he’s only 24 and they’re rebuilding. A player like Harvin is the type of player that team’s the Vikings build around, and there’s just no way to recoup the loss of one of the team’s few playmakers. On top of that, he’s signed for 2 more years, giving the team time to turn things around before Harvin would become a free agent.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to dream.

Doug Baldwin, 2011′s most productive receiver, is a lock to be back, but beyond that nothing is certain.

Sydney Rice is the most dynamic player of the group and almost certain to return as well, but Rice is also injury prone and the group’s most expensive player. If Rice gets nicked up in training camp, it’s possible that the Seahawks could cut him loose and try and move on. I doubt that will happen, but itn’t completely out of the question. Still, lets assume that Rice is a lock to make the team.

That’s just 2 of the 6 spots, so 4 of them are completely up for grabs.

Pete Carroll really likes Kris Durham, and he has a tremendous amount of potential. If he takes a big step forward in his development he could end up taking over the starting job at split end. If he doesn’t, he could be one of those who lose out completely in the competition for a spot on the team.

The fans all seem to love Rickardo Lockette, but I actually don’t expect him to make the 2012 squad. He’s got great speed, but hasn’t shown he’s a threat to run anything but a go-route. In fact, if you look at the take from the games he played, Lockette appeared easy to cover on plays where he had to make some sort of cut, so I just don’t see him finding a place on this team with such a crowded field.

Ben Obomanu and Mike Williams both face an uphill battle to remain with the team. Williams had just 18 catches despite starting in 12 games. He’s a big target but struggled to get any sort of separation last season. Obomanu has always been a spectacular special teams player and decent reserve WR, but the specials teams should be loaded this season after the Seahawks drafted so much speed, and players with more upside might have to be cut in order for Obomanu to stay. In the end, I can’t see both of these 2 making the squad this season.

A similar case could be made for the duo of Golden Tate and Deon Butler. Both are extremely physically gifted, but neither has ever managed to turn those gifts into on field production. Last season was supposed to be when Tate emerged as a real weapon, but he lost his playing time to an undrafted rookie. Another thing working against this pair is their size. Pete Carroll clearly like bigger physical receivers, and those are adjectives that will never be used to describe, Tate and Butler. Again, I can’t see more than 1 of these 2 making the final roster, and I could easily see a situation where both are gone.

That’s the 8 players who are returning from last season. My tally is that 5 of them make the final roster (Baldwin, Rice, Durham, one of Williams/Obomanu, and one of Tate/Butler) That leaves 1 spot open to be claimed, and many vying for a that spot.

The duo of Phil Bates, Charly Martin, is all fairly uninteresting. Both are practice squad journeymen who’ve yet to show they belong in the league. While it’s possible they impress in camp, I doubt that will happen.

That leaves a trio of undrafted rookies to consider, Jermaine Kearse, Lavasier Tuinel, and Raymond Webber. Kearse will likely be a fan favorite in the preseason since he played for Washington, but his lack of development over his final 2 years of college makes me think he has limited upside at this level. (which is too bad, since I had huge expectations for him after his sophomore season.) Instead, my expectation is that if any of the undrafted rookies makes the team it’ll be Tuinel.

Tuniel is a big target (he’s 6-4) and is an exceptionally physical blocker for the running game. He’s also got good speed and quickness. Physically he should have been drafted somewhere on day 2, but (statement removed***) that caused every NFL team to pass on him. He could be a real steal for the Seahawks.

On the other hand, Tuniel size and blocking skills actually make him a candidate to be moved to TE, which is a rumor I’ve been hearing out the Seahawks rookie camp this week. If Tuniel moves to TE, or if his checkered past removed his name form the list of possibilities, then that opens the door for Kearse, Lockette, or one of the others to steal a roster spot.

The wide receiver position is going to be one of the most interesting roster battles to watch when training camp finally arrives.

***This article originally contained a claim about Mr. Tuinei’s past that was an unsubstantiated rumor. We received bad information and have removed the disparaging remark. We apologize to Mr. Tuinei and our readers for this error.

Russel Wilson. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

The Hawks must have really liked this kid or they wouldn’t have taken him in the third. Furthermore, this has major implications for the as of now ‘so called quarterback competition.’ We have too many quarterbacks on the depth chart. Somebody is going to have to go at some point this summer. Is it going to be Tarvaris? Because honestly I was hoping to see him give Matt Flynn a run for his money, making them both better. Or will it be Josh Portis? I, as well as many others were under the impression the organization really liked Portis.

I can see a case for both and I think the team does also. Although they must have made a decision already because there really aren’t enough snaps to go around. We didn’t draft Russel Wilson in the third round to sit around and watch. Personally I think it’s Josh Portis that leaves. The Seahawks liked him a lot, but with an opportunity to draft Russel Wilson it looks like now maybe not so much. He was being groomed to be a future backup and in the meantime was being put to good use helping the scout team prepare for mobile quarterbacks. However, Russel Wilson is mobile just like Josh Portis and unlike Portis he has an actual opportunity to be a starter in this league.

If Wilson was 6’1 or even 6’2 he would have been the first quarterback drafted after Andrew Luck and RG3. As far as his height goes let’s just remember two quarterbacks by the name of Doug Flutie and Drew Brees, the first being 5’10 like Wilson and the second being only 6’0. Maybe height won’t matter (and I’m not saying I think great things about Flutie, but obviously height wasn’t his issue). In any case one thing we can be sure of is Russel Wilson will be a competent back up at the very least. He is a strong leader who can step in and take over the team when needed. Furthermore, he will work very hard and will definitely compete for a role on this team whether he is given a fair opportunity or not. Also don’t be surprised if we see Wilson come in for a little trickery in goal line situations, kind of like the Jets with Tim Tebow (hopefully just not as much of a mess). Yet I doubt we see much, if any of this.

The only case to be made for Tarvaris leaving is if he falls flat right out of the gate in regards to the ‘so called quarterback competition.’ Then he would only be dealt if we could get some late round value for him, such as a pick in the 5th or the 6th. However, I don’t think it is likely that the team trades him away. He won over that locker room last year and even some of the fan base with how he played hurt (wow it’s amazing how we as fans honestly think our opinions matter to the organization in regards to players). To cut or trade him to make room for Russel Wilson and an unproved Josh Portis would be unfair and the locker room would take notice, especially after he was promised a fair opportunity to win the starting job.

I personally do not want to see Tarvaris Jackson gone. I’d rather it be Josh Portis that goes because I truly believe Tarvaris Jackson is going to give Matt Flynn a wild ride trying to win that number one spot. In that same spirit I am also very happy about the Russel Wilson pick. Personally I feel we could have gotten him later, but if the Seahawks feel like they got their guy it doesn’t matter where he was picked. Russel Wilson is going to compete his ass off and might even win the backup spot. If the Seahawks didn’t think him capable of doing so they wouldn’t have taken him in the third round. So let’s hope we have a real star in Russel Wilson. I know he is capable of being one so hopefully height is damned on this one.

Well it’s that special time of the year everybody. NFL draft weekend, where we put our feet up, order pizza, and get drunk and opinionated. Plus not to mention spend three days trying to remember which strange 80’s porno we remember seeing Mel Kiper Jr. in (personally I think it was this sleazy one that took place in a Reno strip club). But enough of the joking, for I am drunk, or getting there at least… and it is time for me to share my dogmatic opinions.

The Seahawks are now defense first under Pete Caroll and I can’t say I mind his vision for this side of the ball. The defense he envisions is a hard-nosed ass kicking and ball hawking bunch of sons of bitches that has opposing offenses leaving the Clink saying “Wow I feel like I just went to war with a bunch of dinosaurs and woolly mammoths.” However, it is the offensive side of the ball that I am worried about. That’s not to say that I don’t like what Pete and John have done with the offense, it’s just I think we probably need to go offense in the first round.

Last season we were a top ten defense with a well-oiled run stopping machine and a defensive back field that had interception potential ticking like time bombs. Yet all football knowledge says we have to go defense in this first round… Are they crazy!? Why fix it when it ain’t broke!? Sure a pass rusher like Quentin Coples would make our front four the equivalent to a Mongol Horde (if he isn’t napping), but honestly Coples is going to be on the field less than 50% of the time unless we move him around and plug him in at defensive tackle, which I’ll admit is a possibility. However, the only way I say we go defense is if Luke Kuechly is on the board. Not just because he is a special player who will be our Pro Bowl defensive quarterback for years to come, but because our linebackers are and have been seriously lacking.

How many times did we see Alex Smith scramble for first downs in the 49ers game huh? It made me sick watching our dreadfully slow linebackers try to set the edge on freaking Alex Smith. And what now? We’re going to rely on Barrett Ruud to set the edge? He can’t even sit on the edge of the bench without injuring something. Plus not to mention all the times we watched opposing tight ends catch pass after pass because our linebackers didn’t have the speed or ability to cover them. Basically Luke Kuechly fills a major need and is a sure thing that we can take out of necessity without being punished for reaching.

If Luke Kuechly isn’t on the board at twelve then there will be offensive players of high stature. Our offense is largely a mystery right now. We have no idea what we have in Matt Flynn and we can pretty much bet on future injuries looming over Sydney Rice and Russel Okung. The surest way to guarantee a quarterback is going to work out is to get him some weapons because they can’t all be Peyton Mannings and make Pro Bowlers out of mopes.

Wouldn’t you be happy to see the Hawks take Michael Floyd at twelve? Right now we have no number two receiver and we definitely don’t have somebody that can be physical and go up and get it every time you chuck it up there (I’ve largely given up on Michael Williams). Matt Flynn needs somebody who can be his go to guy, a physical jump ball power forward like Mathew Stafford’s MegaTron where you just throw it up and trust. Or what about David DeCastro? This guy is going to be a Pro Bowler almost every season guaranteed. They say twelve is too high for a guard, but just look at Steve Hutchinson. This kid is seriously that good. Plus he is from the area and would be an instant home town hero. Not to mention upgrading our beast mode would seriously help Flynn in the passing game as well.

I know we need a consistent pass rush, I get it. But if we want Matt Flynn to succeed we have to get him some artillery. We can find defensive ends as they slip out of the first round into the second. There are plenty of good ones this year, one might even be Coples or Chandler Jones even, but I seriously doubt it. Yet we will still be able to find somebody to play across from Clemons. We don’t need a number one pass rusher, only an upgrade at number two on the left side. So I say we take Kuechly if he is there and if not then we grab Floyd or DeCastro. Let’s commit to Flynn and get him what he needs. Just look at how he played in that Packers Lions game with all the weapons on offense.

P.S. My apologies for the grumpy banter, I can be a mean drunk.

Matt Flynn. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Green Bay backup Matt Flynn could be making his way here to Seattle to be the Seahawks new starting quarterback. If the move works out anything like it did with another former Packers backup we all know (Matt Hasselbeck for those of you who have been living on the moon) it will be well worth it. It’s been extremely difficult to cut through all the hype on Matt Flynn and truly evaluate his skillset. This is probably because the league is so starved for quarterbacks right now it still hasn’t forgotten about people like Matt Leinart. However, anyone who beats Aaron Rodgers to set two franchise single game records in passing and touchdowns deserves some interest. Even despite the fact he only has two starts under his belt.

Kevin Kolb was the free agent quarterback jackpot of last year, but his payoff has yet to justify the price Arizona paid. This scares a lot of people when thinking about getting into a bidding war with the Miami Dolphins over Flynn. Yet despite all the failed backups gone free agency and turned starters such as Matt Cassell, we need to remember that many former backups do end up becoming franchise quarterbacks like Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Schaub. One team’s second string trash can really become another team’s first string gold. Furthermore, if John Schneider decides to go ahead and really make an offer on Flynn we will know he is franchise material. Schneider was the head of football operations for Green Bay in 2008 when Flynn was drafted. He will know all the upsides and downsides to Matt Flynn.

The biggest reason it has been difficult to evaluate Flynn is that he has only started two games in his career. This leaves a lot to be said about his consistency, leadership, study habits, and all the other intangibles. Right now you can only evaluate what you see on the field in his two games and I put a high price on what happens off the field, especially with quarterbacks. This is the only thing that truly concerns me about Matt Flynn.

However exceptional Matt Flynn looked against the Lions and Patriots a lot of credit needs to be given to his wide receivers. Not only was he playing with one of the most exceptional if not thee most exceptional receiving corps in the NFL, but the Lions and Patriots secondary were doing them a lot of favors. Almost every completion in these games garnished another 10 to 20 yards after the catch if not more. Likewise Flynn was dumping it off short on a lot of screens or getting it off to his hot read who most times was able to run for considerable yardage. However, even if he was dumping it off short it left reason to be impressed.

What Matt Flynn clearly displayed in his two starts was the ability to not only be a playmaker, but a smart playmaker. He showed that he clearly has a good football IQ if not a high football IQ, something Tarvaris Jackson clearly lacks. When you watch both games you can see that he keeps his eyes moving through his progressions. If his throw down the field isn’t there he dumps it off short rather than take a sack. He also doesn’t lock onto one receiver until he is forced into a coverage sack. The ability for Flynn to keep his head on a swivel and find the open man quickly is definitely a positive.  This is something Tarvaris Jackson is notorious for not doing. He focuses in on his first read (usually Sydney Rice) and never allows himself to enter into his progressions.

Right away Flynn’s ability to go through his motions would be an instant upgrade over Tarvaris. If you watch the game Flynn played against the Patriots you can see he was under an inordinate amount of pressure the whole game. Nonetheless he was able to feel that pressure coming and either dump it off short or throw the ball away. He wasn’t perfect when being under siege the whole time, no quarterback is, but he was good enough to impress. Plus it was his first start in the NFL which makes it even more impressive. Even if Flynn didn’t lead them to win that game he still posted a performance of three touch downs to one interception with a completion rating of 64.9%. Something I would take from a quarterback under that much duress any day. Also Flynn displayed some mobility in getting away from pressure. This is one thing we know the current Seahawks regime values. Also it’s another improvement over Tarvaris who was supposed to be mobile but was too indecisive and blind to pressure to know when to use it.

Flynn also showed he had the capability to throw a decent deep ball. Some of the deep throws I saw him make were perfect, while others were good but a little underthrown. However, each one was accurate and left no room for the defensive back to intercept it. As we all know this ability is paramount for a quarterback playing in the Seattle scheme. He also was able to thread the needle on a handful of throws when he needed to. Flynn showed in his two starts that he can make throws accurately at all three levels.

All in all I think the Seahawks have to make a move for Matt Flynn. From what I see he is the most promising prospect out there right now. Furthermore we have the cap room to try and lure him away from Miami who is the most likely landing spot for him. Honestly the only thing I see keeping Flynn from going to Miami would be if someone offered him more money. Hopefully the Seahawks will be that team and get into some type of bidding war. However, if John Schneider doesn’t make a move for Matt Flynn we will know he wasn’t worth it. Although from what I have seen I do not think that is the case. Matt Flynn has your prototypical NFL arm, he is good under pressure, and he goes through his reads quickly. There is no doubt in my mind he would be an instant upgrade to Tarvaris Jackson.

What do you guys think?

Doug Baldwin flew above all expectations in 2011 Credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver corps was both deep and talented. 8 different wide receivers catch catches this year. While having too many good receivers is a great problem to have, the Seahawks have some very tough choices to make about the position before the start of training camp.

Sydney Rice put together a nice season despite missing a number of games because of injury. When healthy he was clearly the team’s best receiver, and the offense was much better.

It tough to describe the year that Mike Williams had without using adjectives like awful and disappointing. Williams made 15 starts, and totaled just 18 catches. While it’s likely that Williams returns for training camp, if he can’t show that he can get open with regularity in the preseason, than I don’t think he’ll be on the roster by the time the season starts.

Deon Bulter isn’t a bad player, but he really doesn’t fit the Seahawks right now. Bulter is the last of the truly “Ruskell” receivers left with the Seahawks. He’s short, but quick and had good speed. He fits a Holmgren style offense, and doesn’t have the size that the other receivers on the Seahawks have.

Butler spent most of 2012 on the PUP list, and then didn’t crack the game-day roster until Sydney Rice was placed on IR. It tough to make a case for Butler to remain with the Seahawks.

Doug Baldwin was a major surprise in past season. Despite being undrafted, Baldwin was the Seahawks leading receiver in both yards and receptions. While Baldwin lacks the speed to be a starter, his has the quickness and toughness needed to excel as a slot receiver. Baldwin will definitely be back in 2012.

Kris Durham has all the physical attributes you’d want in an NFL receiver. He big, fast, agile and reportedly has soft hands. The problem is that Durham has never turned all of those physical attributes into on-field production. He didn’t put up huge numbers in college, and couldn’t make the game day roster as a pro. The Seahawks love him, but if he doesn’t show major improvement in 2012 then this next season may be his last in the NFL.

Richardo Lockette is said to be one of the fastest players in the entire NFL, and has emerged as a fan favorite after making a couple huge grabs at the end of the year. He’s got ideal size and speed, but it remains to be seen if he’s capable of running anything other than a go-route.

Golden Tate showed some flashes of the playmaking ability that made him a 2nd round picked, but then also would disappear for long stretches. When he was drafted it was expected that he was a projet and that it would take him some time before he reached his potential, but the Seahawks have to be disapointed that he’s not further along in his development by now. Tate has to hope that the Seahawks don’t draft another WR this April, or he could find himself being squeezed out of a job.

Ben Obomanu has been a special team mainstay for years, and put up pretty decent numbers when given a chance this past season. Fans undoubtedly will remember the big drops he had in the season finale, but his contribution over the rest of the year shouldn’t be overlooked because of one bad game. Obomanu finished the year with more than double the receptions and yards that Mike Williams had, and Williams was the starter who received most of the snaps.

Prediction: Rice and Baldwin will be back for sure.  Butler will be gone, as will Mike Williams. Tate and Obomanu will compete for a roster spot. Durham and Lockette will be back, but will compete with a draft pick or UDFA for a pair of roster spots with the odd man out being cut.

Chris Berman I miss your outrageous hair... Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

I am having the worst NFL withdrawals of my life. I don’t know what to do for a fix besides listen to the same updates on Peyton Manning over and over on 710 ESPN. I feel like they are going in more circles than a Ferris wheel about him. However I feel their pain, I mean honestly what else is there to talk about? We probably won’t hear of any real offseason news until all the teams gather at the combine. Oh how I can’t wait until that circus of a rumor mill starts! This offseason is killing me and it’s only been four days since the super bowl. Last year wasn’t so bad. Despite the lockout making it easier, I also went into the season expecting a patient year of rebuilding. I even remember telling my friends that I’m looking forward to a year of possible stress free football (wow did that ever not happen!).

John Schneider and Pete Carroll really showed me something this season and just like Pete would say ‘I’m in.’ I completely buy into everything the Seahawks are doing. How fast we were able to right the ship and get things turned around nominates Carroll and Schneider for the best tandem in the league. They are really turning into football’s dynamic duo. Now if only we could get that quarterback… maybe they would get the respect they deserve. Because that is all we need! Or at least that is the one mystery in the huddle we’re waiting to catch a clue on. All the other pieces are either in place or will be solved in the draft this year. Our biggest problem right now is to decide whether we want to draft Quentin Coples or Melvin Ingram to beef up our strong side pass rush (what a problem to have right?). Furthermore we may not need to gamble on a linebacker in the draft, there are a lot of free agents who can fill that need this year. One of them that nobody is talking about is Larry Grant of the San Francisco 49’ers. For those of you who don’t remember, he single handedly ended our season by stripping the ball from Tarvaris in our final game. He could be a really good option coming at a bargain for the Seahawks. However, we did not get to see much of Larry Grant, but what we did see looked very solid. He started for an injured Patrick Willis in three games this year. Grant registered 18 tackles in those three games and made a ton of exceptional plays. Word is he is a very hard worker with a high motor.

I honestly feel this year the Seahawks will gain some stability, or rather I should say that this is the year they should find some stability. Last year we saw an influx of exciting big name free agents such as Sydney Rice, Zach Miller (who’s excitement is pending on our offensive line), and Robert Gallery be signed. However, this season I’m not expecting as much of an inflow of free agents. It’s time for the revolving door into the Seahawks locker room to stop spinning so our current players can grow as a team. What’s wrong with this equation is that we don’t have a quarterback to mature under right now. Tarvaris Jackson is hardly the answer and I don’t think anyone will argue with that. Sure he has very similar numbers to Alex Smith and could potentially have a season of improvement like Smith, but Alex is still pedestrian at best. I don’t care if he had 17 touch downs and five interceptions this season, he is still a game manager and the only improvement we can hope for with Tarvaris is game management.

Right now I really think the best options out there are Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn. These are gigantic gambles. Matt Flynn had two great games, but that’s all we’ve seen from him. Whenever I go watch the highlights I say to myself ‘Yea he looks great, but his receivers look great also, they are running wide open and getting a ton of yardage after the catch.’ Honestly I don’t see the Seahawks getting into a bidding war over Flynn. If he is available for somewhere around 7 to 9 million maybe they sign him, but he is probably going to Miami anyways. With the case of Peyton Manning a team is going to have to sign him before they know about his tricep muscle. He is likely going to be cut from the Colts in the coming weeks. The reason being that the Colts don’t want to take a 28 million dollar gamble on an arm that isn’t strong enough to keep him from getting picked off in a high school game. Furthermore any team willing to enter into the Manning sweepstakes is going to have to offer him a contract before they know if he is ready. The only plus side is that Manning will reportedly agree to an incentive laden contract receiving little to no upfront money and playing to earn his pay. However, if a team doesn’t know whether or not he is ready it means they will have to retain a plan b which never works out too well with quarterbacks.

This is why I am so anxious for the season to start. There are so many secrets waiting to be revealed by next year. The quarterback situation has me particularly restless because there is no obvious option out there. This is a horrible year for quarterbacks in the draft and I just don’t see the Seahawks signing Manning or Flynn. Pete Carroll wants his guy at quarterback. He wants someone he can groom to play the Pete Carroll way and right now we need that someone. We can afford at least one more season with no clear cut answer at quarterback, but that is it. However anxious I am I do trust Carroll and Schneider. Look at the season we had with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and imagine last season with a real quarterback. They know what they are doing and the building process only has a few more steps. I just can’t wait to see who we find to fill those holes.