12th Man News: New Seattle Seahawks Players Will Compete to Play

Writer’s note: The above video is meant to be a representation of  how, when you work as a team, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to…like, find your best friend, Doug.

There is no overlooking Pete Carroll’s unorthodox style. After a long, long, long…LOOOOONG, NFL labor dispute/lockout, Carroll & Co. went storming into free agency looking to nab players no ‘Hawks fan would have ever expected to be nabbed.

The first big surprise, was the parting of longtime QB Matt Hasselbeck. After the team reportedly did not want to shell out Matt’s asking price–more than $7-million and an undisclosed amount for hair plugs–the team said “to-da-loo, mutha f***aaaaawawawa!”

Next thing you know, sports news headlines were being splashed with reports that Tarvaris Jackson was being signed. My first reaction… “Okay, so we now have a good number 2-3 QB, wonder who’s going to be our number-one.” I have to admit, after Jackson was named the ‘Hawks starting QB over the weekend, I wasn’t sure if that was the best option. But, after doing some research and watching a lot of Youtube highlights of the ex-Viking, the idea of having him start doesn’t seem all that bad. From what I’ve read and seen of Jackson’s play, it seems as though he was one of those players who was way over-hyped coming out of college, and just didn’t manage to produce on the level that so many projected him to. Can he still be molded into a great QB? I think so. Especially with a vivacious head coach like Pete “The Visionary” Carroll.

TE Zach Miller, was another big name recently added to the Seattle Seahawks roster. The unrestricted free agent was somehow lured away from the villainous grasp of the Oakland Raiders’ loooooooongtime team owner Al “Skeletor” Davis, long enough to work out a sizable contract with the ‘Hawks; 5-years, 34-million (insert loud foghorn noise)/$17-million guaranteed. Which, when you think about it, is kind of strange considering they already have a talented tight end in John Carlson. Carlson’s numbers dropped some last season, but he also had 20 less receptions than he had during the 2009-10 season. Should we expect to see Carlson’s playing time drastically cut? Or, will we see him exit Seattle as part of a surprise trade? Only time will tell.

Perhaps the biggest and most surprising free agency acquisition of all, was the signing of WR Sidney Rice, another ex-Viking. At 6′-4″, the 24-year-old beanpole-built ball chaser, will be an excellent, familiar target for Jackson.  Rice will join another skyscraper at wide receiver, Mike Williams, who is listed at 6’-5″. I expect to see a lot of TDs this season from the towering duo, along with an air-raid of long passes thrown their way.

So, now that we’ve covered the ‘Hawks most shocking free agency moves, should we assume they will somehow magically fix the team’s offensive shortcomings? No, each new player will compete for their respective position. Tarvaris Jackson, has narrowly been named Seattle’s starter, and will find Charlie “Christ’s Stunt Double” Whitehurst, pacing the sidelines with  ravenous fervor, waiting for a chance to steal Jackson’s shoes (take over). Zach Miller, may have been top dog in Oakland, but Carlson’s no slouch and definitely won’t be rolling out the red carpet for a guy with a bigger…contract(?). Sidney Rice, has a lot to prove. Sure, he has the talent and the size to be a top receiver, but he’ll have to prove that he still has what it takes after missing over half of last season due to hip surgery.

Carroll and Co. have made many recent controversial moves, but who knows, maybe they know what their doing. Instead of going out and trying to acquire a couple of hot names (Kevin Kolb, Nnamdi Asomugha) who take up a large chunk of cap space, they chose to make some ballsy investments and spread the wealth…

I expect a large return this season. Do you?