Seahawks add Richard, Ulbrich to coaching staff

As the final touches are being made on Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll's coaching
staff there are two more names being added on.

Former Seahawk and USC Trojan DB coach Kris Richard will join Carroll as the assistant defensive backs coach to Jerry Gray (Seahawks DB coach).

Also joining the staff is former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Jeff Ulbrich who will serve as the teams assistant special teams coach to Brian Scheider.

As of now here is the current coaching staff under Pete Carroll.

Offense:

Offensive coordinator: Jeremy Bates
Quarterbacks coach: Jedd Fisch
Running backs coach: Sherman Smith
Wide receivers coach: Kippy Brown
Tight ends coach: Pat McPherson
Offensive line: Alex Gibbs
Assistant offensive line: Art Valero

Defense:

Defensive coordinator: Gus Bradley
Defensive line coach: Dan Quinn
Linebackers coach: Ken Norton Jr.
Secondary coach: Jerry Gray
Assistant secondary coach: Kris Richard

Special teams and strength and condition:

Special teams coach: Brian Scheider
Assistant special teams coach: Jeff Ulbrich
Strength and conditioning coach: Chris Carlisle
Assistant strength and conditioning coach: Jamie Yanchar

Now all the pieces have been put in place on Pete Carroll's coaching staff. Next up for the head man along with GM John Schneider is to begin scouting and evaluating their own players, senior bowl players as well as possible free agent targets.

NOTE: Patrick Kerney has not retired according to two sources in Seattle. There was no retirement party and no papers have been put through the league office.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Check out Lars’ sports blog: http://hansonsportsblog.blogspot.com/

Mariners, Byrnes agree on one-year contract

On Friday the Mariners and GM Jack Zduriencik went back to his "buy low, end up high" mentality when the team came to an agreement on a one year contract with free agent outfielder Eric Byrnes.

Byrnes, who turns 34 in February of this year, will be entering his tenth year in the majors, with his third team in his career.

The signing of Byrnes gives the Mariners a much needed right-handed bat to most likely come off the bench this season.

In 2009 Byrnes played in only 84 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks with eight homeruns, 26 runs, 54 hits and 31 RBI's.

Byrnes has a career .321 OBP, .442 slugging percentage and a .763 OPS.

Eric Byrnes is out to prove to the Mariners and the rest of the league that he is once again healthy, something he hasn't been in two years since he signed a three year $30 million dollar contract with the Diamondbacks.

Byrnes said in a conference call with Seattle reporters that he was "I just needed a team to believe in me half as much as I believe in myself".

With the Seattle Mariners Brynes he feels like he has that belief.

The addition of Byrnes adds another notable name to the list of top off season acquisitions with the likes of Chone Figgins, Cliff Lee, Milton Bradley, Casey Kotchman as well as the extensions of Felix Hernandez and Franklin Gutierrez.

With this "believe big" motto for 2010 it's clear that Don Wakamatsu and Jack Zduriencik are doing more than aiming for a division title in 2010.

NOTE: The Mariners designated Tommy Everidge for assignment to make room for Byrnes on the roster.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Seahawks draft prospect: CB Joe Haden

As Pete Carroll, John Schneider and the rest of the Seahawks scouting department prepare for the senior bowl this Saturday in Mobile Alabama to get a look at some of the top seniors in this draft class I’ve decided to go break down a highly touted junior, corner back Joe Haden.

The Seahawks currently have major needs in their entire defensive backfield, mostly at the second corner position and safety.

Marcus Trufant was placed on the PUP list to begin the season which meant that he would miss the first eight weeks of the season, which inevitably wound up hurting his overall play. Trufant was flagged at least eight times for pass interference calls this season, the highest in his career.

However with Trufant being 100 percent healthy now and moving forward the Seahawks don’t really have a stand out corner opposite of Trufant.

Here is the current list of corners’ for the Seahawks.

Marcus Trufant, Josh Wilson, Kelly Jennings, Ken Lucas (UFA) and Roy Lewis

When you look at that list the only real name that jumps out as a great corner would be Trufant. Josh Wilson I see a much better fit as a safety because he can cover and tackle but between Haden and Wilson Haden is a much better shut down corner.

So with that being said, the second player on “my list”(my list of draft prospects for the Seahawks, first started with Russell Okung) Joe Haden and my break down of his game.

Physical stature and Skills:

5-11, 191 lbs, great hips, great shut down cover skills (like Darrell Revis), quick feet (get’s flat footed now and then but Carroll will help with that), great hands and electric speed with a 4.40. Only missed one game in his college career, back in 2007 against Florida State.

Character:

Great leader on and off the field. In 2009 Haden was semifinalist for the Jim Thorp award which is given to the best college defensive back that has great skills as well as great character on and off the field.

NFL comparison:

Well I already gave that one away above, CB Darrell Revis. Still has some work to get up with Revis’ complete shut down corner package but he’s got great intangibles and has the same make up as Revis does. Great cover shut down corner, great hips, great hands and great speed.

The only thing he has a problem with is a little foot work and getting the little things right but one he’s in the NFL, possibly under Pete Carroll should the Seahawks draft Haden at either No. 6 or No. 14 overall he’d be able to work out those small problems with Haden.

ESPN Scouts Inc Todd McShay has Haden as the fourth best player in the draft giving him a 96 overall grade. For the Seahawks they seem like the first team that would get a crack at Joe Haden being sixth overall.

Tampa Won’t take a CB that high and no other team before Seattle makes sense. Now the Seahawks do have a lot of needs (LT,LG,DE,QB-long term, CB and S) so if the Seahawks and Pete Carroll feel that Haden is the best player on the board and they really like him the I believe he could be the pick at six.

However Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford, Russell Okung and Suh would have to be off the board for the Seahawks to have Haden as a plan because those four come before Haden.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Check out Lars’ sports blog: http://hansonsportsblog.blogspot.com/

Seattle Seahawks: Five players to watch at the Senior Bowl

The first official task that head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider will be working on together is evaluating players this Saturday at the Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama.

Carroll, the former USC head coach is considered the best at scouting college players and that will be very crucial as the Seahawks look to build their organization through the NFL draft as well as picking up a few players through free agency.

Overall the draft is how you build the core of your team for the long term and the Seahawks plan on rebuilding mainly through the NFL Draft. With the Seahawks having three of the first 40 picks in the 2010 draft this will be the most important draft in Pete Carroll’s short era so far in Seattle.

With that being said here are five players that the Seahawks and Pete Carroll will have their eyes on come Saturday.

Taylor Mays, S USC

Examination: Taylor Mays has been and will continue to pop up in tons of mock drafts as the draft process continues to move along. Mays is not being targeted just because Pete Carroll use to coach him at USC. It’s because the Seahawks are missing a huge presents in their defensive backs, especially at safety.

Jordan Babineaux recorded over 100 tackles this season which looks good on paper but when it comes down to the entire game he gave up way to many bit plays this season. He used to be great as a hard hitting situational safety/cornerback and now he’s really a hit and miss starter which has weakened the Seahawks defense.

Mays was not known for making interceptions but he was known for being a hard hitting cover safety that could cover without giving up big plays.

Mays is a name that every Seahawks fan needs to keep their eyes on as the draft moves closer.

Mike Iupati, OG Idaho

Examination: With out any doubt Iupati is the best offensive guard in the 2010 NFL draft. However that’s all he is fitted for is being either a left or right guard depending on team need, which for the Seahawks would be left guard.

Iupati has great quickness, power and is a gritty player that will be a future Pro Bowler, like former Seahawks OG Steve Hutchinson.

The Seahawks need to build the the majority of the offensive line in order for the entire offense to start clicking once again. That would start with adding an offensive guard like Mike Iupati in the 2010 NFL draft.

He’s not hard to miss so here is another name to keep your eyes on.

Tim Tebow, QB Florida

Examination: The selection of Tebow for me is two fold. One Tim Tebow is going to have everyone looking at him except for the Colts who have Peyton Manning. Two because the Seahawks have a solid starter in Matt Hasselbeck who has been banged up recently due to poor offensive line production and bad coaching ala Greg Knapp.

As ESPN’s Todd McShay pointed out he is starting to get better taking snaps under center but still has a lot of improvement to make in order to be an NFL starting quarterback.

The Seahawks don’t have a long term answer at quarterback but I think with Carroll being a high energy coach who wants winners and the best players, along with offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates who is great with any quarterback can turn him into an NFL starting quarterback in two years.

Maybe like Vince Young except in the second round. He’s got speed and talent but needed/needs the time to develop into a true NFL starting quarterback.

Myron Rolle, S Florida State

Examination: This one might shock a lot of people but the reason I have him as one of my five players to watch for the Seahawks at the senior bowl is because he still is a very hard, aggressive player who will always come up in the run support from his safety position to make those hard tackles.

However there is some down side to Rolle, who was the number one rated high school player coming out in 2006 ahead of the likes of Taylor Mays and others.

Rolle has been considered a slacker and not that enthused when it comes to playing but when he does play and play at a high level he’s a very talented player.

The only question I would raise in this case is can Pete Carroll get Rolle into mental shape if he decided to select him between the 4th and 5th round of the draft.

Brandon Graham, DE Michigan

Examination: It was clear to the entire country that Michigan’s defense was horrendous this season but their was one bring spot this season and that was defensive end Brandon Graham.

Graham was always hustling to the ball on every play and was very aggressive and strong both against the run and pass. The Seahawks lack a talented pass rusher and even though Graham would be a fifth option behind the likes of Derrick Morgan, Jason Pierre-Paul and others he’d still be a good selection late in the draft.

So those would be my top five players to watch this Saturday at the senior bowl but the Seahawks will have a lot better choices coming from the junior class and other seniors that aren’t at the senior bowl like Sam Bradford and C.J Spiller among others.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Brett Favre or Kurt Warner? Who has had the better NFL career?

In the NBA you have Kobe or LeBron. In the NHL you have Crosby vs Ovechkin. For the most part in the NFL it’s always been Brady vs Manning deciding who’s the best quarterback in the NFL.

I decided to go beyond the usual comparison of who is the best quarterback in the NFL right now with Manning and Brady. I decided to compare two forty year old quarterbacks who’ve been making “comebacks” for three years now.

Warner with Arizona and Favre with Green Bay, NY Jets and most recently Minnesota.

I’ve never heard someone compare Brett Favre and Kurt Warner so I decided to be the first and even though I was born and raised by my father (Randy Hanson) who was a Green Bay Packers fan now turned Oakland Raiders fan I don’t have a bias for or against either quarterback.

Adding the two future HOF’s together you get two Super Bowl titles, five MVP’s, 16 Pro Bowl selections, 101,673 passing yards, 705 TD’s and 445 Int’s along with tons of other milestones and stats.

Just the shier volume of those stats says a lot about the two quarterbacks. However the question is which one has had a better NFL career?

Before I break down both players I would like to explain the question. When comparing who has had the better career I’m going by stats, Super Bowls, awards and team success (determined by win/loss record).

With that being said it’s time to break down arguably two of the best QB’s in NFL history along the likes of Joe Montana, Joe Namath and John Elway among many others.

Brett Favre:

69,329 passing yards (1st all time)
497 passing touchdowns (1st all time)
6,083/9,811 completions
86.4 QB rating

11 Pro Bowl selections
3 first team all pro selections
3 second team all pro selections
3x NFL MVP
2x NFC champion
Super Bowl XXXI winner (31)
181 career wins
13 playoff wins
Madden 2009 cover boy(just for humor)

Examination: The good old boy from Gulfport Mississippi was a second round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 1991 NFL draft. Favre only lasted one year in Atlanta, attempting only four passes in that time. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers for running back Tony Smith and a first round draft pick. Favre’s NFL career started off unlike any other.

After being traded to Green Bay he replaced starting quarterback Don Majkowski in the second game of the 1992 season and after Majkowski had to be finished for the season by week three Favre became the starting quarterback and finished his first season in Green Bay with a 9-7 record missing the playoffs by only one game. He was elected to his first Pro Bowl that season.

Favre led the Packers to their first playoff birth in 1993 while earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. That off season Favre agreed to a $19 million dollar, five year deal.

In 1994 Favre led the Packers to consecutive playoff appearances. A first since the Vince Lombardi era.

From 1995 to 1997 Brett Favre won three consecutive MVP awards in which was arguably one of the best times in his career, which also came at a price.

In May of 1996 Favre went into rehabilitation for Vicodin addiction, which caused a seizure during a hospital visit for various injuries.

From 1998-2002 Favre was entering the middle portion of his now storied NFL career and in 2001 Brett Favre signed a “lifetime contract” with the Green Bay Packers. $180 million, ten year contract to remain a Green Bay Packer, essentially for the rest of his NFL life. Something that would eventually be broken.

On December 21st 2003 Brett’s father died of a heart attack. The next day Favre elected to play on Monday Night Football in one of if not the most memorable games in NFL history, if not at least for Brett Favre. On that night, a day after Favre lost his father he threw for four touchdowns in the first half, 399 total yards in a 41-7 win over the Oakland Raiders.

After the game he said “I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much and I love this game. It’s meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, and I didn’t expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching tonight”.

2007 could be nicknamed Brett Favre’s milestone year for the simple face that he broke at least three major NFL records in one year. Favre passed John Elway on the all time wins list with 149 against the Giants. Favre passed Dan Marino’s all time touchdown record on September 30th against the Vikings in which he connected with Greg Jennings on a 15 yard slant route to give Favre his 421st touchdown pass in his career.

Favre’s first attempt at retirement came in 2008 when the Packers decided to go with Aaron Rogers as the starting quarterback, at the same time keeping Favre’s contract and not granting him his release.

On August 7th 2008 the Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets for a conditional fourth round pick. In New York Favre started out hot but that diminished toward the end of the season when he was having problems with his throwing shoulder.

One year after trading for Favre the Jets released the quarterback and he was able to sign with any of the 32 NFL teams should he decide to. However Favre made it very clear which team he was going to play for if the deal came right.

That team was the Minnesota Vikings.

After informing Vikings officials that he was retired he later changed his mind and on August 18th 2009 the Vikings and Favre came to an agreement on a two year $25 million dollar contract.

Now five months later the Vikings wait has paid off with the team only one win away from a shot at Super Bowl title.

So reflecting on Brett Favre’s illustrious, history and towards the end controversial career, it’s without a doubt in anyone’s mind that Brett Favre is a sure lock for the NFL hall of fame in Canton Ohio. The only thing standing in the way is Favre’s retirement which no one knows when that will truly happen.

However, is Favre’s career better than Kurt Warner’s? Let’s see.

Kurt Warner:

32,344 passing yards
208 touchdown passes
2,666/4,070 completions
93.7 QB rating

5 Pro Bowl selections
2x MVP
2x first team all pro
Super Bowl XXXIV champion
Super Bowl XXXIV MVP

Examination: Starting out as an undrafted free agent in the 1994 NFL draft being signed by the Green Bay Packers. When Warner was signed he was the fourth quarterback on the depth chart along with Brett Favre(wow two HOF QB’s on the same team), Mark Brunell and Ty Detmer.

Warner was released before the start of the 1994 season. However Steve Mariucc, who at the time was the Packers quarterbacks coach with Mike Holmgren told Warner that he had a lot of potential but was not ready to be an NFL quarterback, not yet.

After Warner was released by the Packers a well known part of his life his the fact that he was working at Hy-Vee stocking shelves.

Warner signed on with an Arena Football league team called the Iowa Barnstormers where he had great success in his short tenure with the league. He’s 12th on the all time list of best AFL players of all time.

In 1998 Warner signed on with the St Louis Rams and was then sent to the NFLE Amsterdam Admirals where he excelled to the top of the league. He returned to the NFL as the Rams third string quarterback.

Warner, much like Favre got the opportunity to start in 1999 when newly signed quarterback Trent Green went down with a torn ACL during the pre season. Warner was named the starting quarterback with the support of Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and others on the Rams offense.

What do you know the luck of these two quarterbacks continued an in 1999 Kurt Warner exploded onto the scene throwing 41 touchdowns and 4,353. That was the beginning of what was nicknamed the “Greatest Show on Turf”.

In the following season Warner continued his top performance by leading the Rams into the playoffs but due to their poor defensive team the Rams lost to the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2001 Warner led the Rams to an NFL best 6-0 start for three years in a row and a 14-2 record to end the season. The Rams would wind up losing a heart breaker in Super Bowl XXXVI when Adam Vinatieri kicked the game winning field goal to give the Pats the win and the title.

For the next two seasons Warner fell off the table, dropping from his Super Bowl caliber talent down to eventually being replaced in 2003 by Marc Bulger.

In 2004 the Rams elected to release Warner and in two short days later he signed with the New York Giants. He was named the teams starting quarterback in 2004 but was eventually replaced by Eli Manning due to two game losing streak. Before that Warner had the team winning five of their first seven games.

In 2005 Warner’s career would take him to the desert out west when he signed a four million dollar one year contract with the Arizona Cardinals and Dennis Green. Warner was mediocre at best and due to a groin injury he was replaced as the starter by Josh McCown.

Green named McCown the starter for the rest of the 05 season but with McCown struggling two games into his new role as the starter Cardinals head coach Dennis Green gave the job back to Warner. Warner finished the season on a high note defeating his former Rams team before he went down with an MCL injury in week 15.

On February 14th 2006 the Cardinals and Warner came to an agreement on a three year $22 million dollar contract.

To start out the 2006 season Warner broke 20,000 passing yards in only his 76th game becoming the second fastest to reach 20,000 yards.

However two weeks later Warner was replaced by rookie quarterback Matt Leinart where he would remain the start until he went down with a shoulder injury in week 16 giving Warner another start to finish the season.

To start 2007 Matt Leinart was named the Cardinals starting quarterback but due to poor performance in both week three and week four Warner had to finish both games for the struggling quarterback. Leinart was placed on IR and Warner finished out the 2007 season with almost all career highs in touchdowns, yards and completion percentage.

Starting 2008 new Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt named Matt Leinart the starting quarterback for the third year in a row but this time Whisenhunt said that Warner could be the starting quarterback come week one.

And that’s exactly what happened.

In 2008 Warner led the Cardinals to their first division title and playoff birth since 1998. The Cardinals where the biggest underdog in the playoffs and not one person, analyst or fan outside of Arizona gave them a shot but they did what any underdog did and prove everyone wrong.

Warner’s career year kept on going and he led the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. For about five minutes in the fourth quarter the Cardinals had the lead but Ben Roethlisberger pulled a miracle in the last minute of the game.

Roethlisberger connected on an amazing reception with Santonio Holmes with :42 seconds left in the game to give the Steelers the lead.

In the off season he contimplated retirement but said he would only play for the Arizona Cardinals. Warner eventually resigned with the Cardinals on March 4th 2009 on a two year $23 million dollar deal.

Warner led the Cardinals back to the playoffs and another NFC West title in 2009. Warner became apart of NFL history when he led the Cardinals to a 51-45 win over the Green Bay Packers. The two teams combined for 96 points, the highest combine total in NFL playoff history.

However the Cardinals lost to the Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs, knocking the team out of another shot at back to back Super Bowls.

Now with Kurt Warner out of the playoff picture it’s time to move into his decision to either retire or come back in 2010 to finish out his contract.

With Matt Leinart still on the roster and Warner being battle tested at the age of 38 some question if he will comeback and that last week Warner hinted that he might retire this off season.

Conclusion: As I’ve been writing this article I’ve gotten to see the two greatest stories in NFL history in my opinion. Favre being drafted and traded to the Packers where he was the third string QB turned hall of famer. Warner went from being an undrafted free agent signie with the Packers to stacking shelves for $5.50 an hour at Hy-Vee before turning into a Super Bowl and NFL MVP quarterback with the Rams and later the Cardinals.

Both of these two quarterbacks are going to be hall of famers but for now both still remain in the game, Favre still fighting for another shot at the Super Bowl.

So what’s the answer to the question at hand? Who has had the better NFL career? Brett Favre or Kurt Warner?

For me it has to be Brett Favre. The guy has broken all major quarterback records and is still playing at an extremely high level at the age of 40. Jerry Rice retired at 41. Will Favre give it another shot? Well I’m betting that will depend on if he’s lifting the Lombardi trophy on February 7th.

To you, who has had the better NFL career? You decide.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Should the Seahawks look at Aaron Kampman?

With only four teams in remaining in the playoffs it means one of two things. One, Brett Favre is this much closer to a Super Bowl, but at the same time that much closer to another off season of "am I retired? I don't even know what that word means". Two, it means that free agency is inching closer and closer which starts the best time of the year.

Speculation time.

However with the NFL's collective bargaining agreement still i limbo not to many free agents know their status, in terms of restricted or unrestricted free agents.

One of those lucky free agents to be, Green Bay Packers OLB/DE Aaron Kampman is most likely going to become an unrestricted free agent come March 1st. Yes that's a little less than three months away but the time goes by fast.

Kampman, a product of Cedar Rapids Iowa and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes could be a target for the newly reconstructed Seattle Seahawks organization led by Pete Carroll and newly hired GM John Schneider, a former front office executive of the Green Bay Packers.

Now some people might question the move from the Seahawks point of view with Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, Aaron Curry and David Hawthorne already in the Seahawks linebacking corps.

Well on paper and to the average scout or fan it might seem like the Seahawks wouldn't sign any linebacker but indepth it's not that clear.

Lofa Tatupu, a three time consecutive pro bowler missed the majority of 2009 with a torn pectoral muscle but should be completely recovered for next season.

Lofa signed a six year $42 million dollar contract last year so there is absolutely no truth to the random rumors about him being traded, especially not with Pete Carroll running the show.

Aaron Curry had an average rookie season but has a lot of work still ahead of him before he can reach that top tier level of linebackers in the NFL. Curry missed the last two games of the season due to injury but it was nothing serious.

Curry could fit in as a rush DE if the Seahawks move to a 3-4 defensive scheme. However even though Pete Carroll said he likes the 4-3, he's scheme sounds more like a 46 defense and not a 4-3. Either way Curry will be a starting linebacker in 2010 for Pete Carroll.

David Hawthorne did a phenomenal job filling in for Lofa Tatupu at middle linebacker racking up 117 total tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions. However with Lofa coming back in 2010 Hawthorne will most likely move around or stand up next to Tatupu in a possible 3-4 defense. Either way I see Hawthorne coming back in 2010 and beyond.

Leroy Hill is almost done as a Seahawk. Now nothing is official but with Hill having a down season right after he was questionably rewarded with a six year $36 million dollar contract last year it leaves the door wide open for the Seahawks to package him for another player that would fill a need and also be productive.

So getting back to Kampman, the question would be posed. Why bring in a 30 year old veteran on a crowded linebacking corps?

Well there are three reasons why I see Aaron Kampman being a nice fit on a one year contract to prove himself that he can still play at a high level.

1) Mentoring the young linebackers and defensive ends on the team. Right now the Seahawks have a lot of young talent in the front seven. Tatupu, Curry, Hawthorne, Jackson, Tapp as well as others. Kampman could come in and teach these young guys how to help find their roles and improve them at their positions as well as bring in his own talent.

For example ESPN had a piece on Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and how he's helped Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie become more complete wide receivers as well has helping them grow off the field.

It would be the same for Kampman. He would be able to help the Seahawks defense from a pass rushing stand point at a low one year cost and also be able to help the younger defensive ends and linebackers grow as NFL players.

2) The Seahawks can use some help at linebacker and defensive end. Kampman would not be the every down answer for the Seahawks at defensive end like say a Julius Peppers would be but knowing that Kampman is versatile and can stand up at outside linebacker as well as be a pass rushing defensive end it bods well for the Seahawks to at least give him a shot on a one year deal.

Kampman finished 2009 with 42 tackles and 3.5 sacks before he missed the rest of the season after week 11 with a knee injury.

For the Seahawks it's a good move and in a way its a money ball move. Plus knowing how well Pete Carroll is defensively he'll find any way to use Kampman.

3) The Seahawks could use some veteran presents on defense. Outside of Lofa Tatupu I can't recall a true leader on the Seahawks defense so brining in a proven veteran who as I said above can help the younger players as well as bring his own bread to the table is always helpful in the NFL.

Patrick Kerney is done and he wasn't really a true leader more as a motivator. So Kampman would be replacing Kerney in a sense if the Seahawks decide to cut ties with him or Leroy Hill.

However there is another major part in this Kampman idea. The Seahawks would first have to part ways with one of or both Patrick Kerney and Leroy Hill in order to make a position open for Kampman. He can play both Hill and Kerney's position so if the Seahawks decide to move on from Hill and Kerney then Kampman would be a nice replacement.

I would like to note that this is not a report more as an interesting idea that could benefit the Seahawks in the short term and also long term. With free agency still a few months away a lot has to happen in order for anything to come true.

It is an intriguing idea about having Kampman in Seattle.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Seahawks player review: WR TJ Houshmandzadeh

This is the first in a long series of articles reviewing the Seahawks players of 2009. Did they under perform, over perform or just be average? We kick off the series with the Seahawks biggest free agent acquisition from last off season, wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh.

The Seahawks rewarded the NFL's most consistent wide receiver with a five year $40 million dollar contract with $15 million guaranteed.

With the Seahawks finishing 5-11 in TJ's first season with the team, needless to say it wasn't happy times in Houshmandzadeh-ville. Houshmnadzadeh looked to some fans and reporters like a smaller in scale version of T.O. Running in with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and questionable actions on the sideline with former head coach Jim Mora Jr.

However from a statsical stand point Houshmandzadeh did about avgerage for what he's done in his career. He didn't have a good quarterback or a great offense in general for many reasons, some of which have been fixed. The firing of offensive coordinator Greg Knapp will help fix those problems. In at offensive coordinator is Jeremy Bates who was in Denver with Jay Cutler when he lit up the NFL through the air.

TJ couldn't be more happy to have Bates as the offensive coordinator. Now for Houshmandzadeh's stats from 2009.

TJ fininshed 2009 playing in all 16 games and recording 79 receptions (team high), 911 yards receiving (team high) and three receiving touchdowns. Houshmandzadeh also had 11.5 YPC (yards per catch).

Houshmandzadeh never was really apart of the Seahawks offense, which was almost nonexistent this season. Housh, along with Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and tight end John Carlson all never became apart of what was suppose to be an explosive offense for the Seahawks.

TJ, Nate and Deion caught national headlines when Nate and Deion hosted their weakly talk radio show in Seattle on 950 KJR Seattle. The Branch and Burleson Show went from being a fun an interactive talk session with the passionate 12th man to a show that had the trio of receivers (TJ, Deion and Nate) calling out Matt Hasselbeck, Jim Mora Jr, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp as well as local TV analyst Hugh Millen, who TJ took personal exception to.

However TJ's first season in Seattle can not be taken as a bust or a desaster because he let the team in receptions and receiving yards. The letdown came on the offensive line and at quarterback and running back with the exception of Justin Forsett.

So we will list TJ Houshmanzadeh's first season in Seattle as average.

Hopefully with a new head coach in Pete Carroll and a new offensive coordinator in Jeremy Bates the Seattle Seahawks offense, including TJ Houshmanzadeh will be alive and firing on all cylinders in 2010.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

2010 NFL Mock draft: First Round (Updated 1, 18, 10)

In my first installment of my 2010 NFL Mock draft I received a lot of comments with people speaking out about two or three of my picks. Mainly Tim Tebow going sixth to the Seattle Seahawks, Gerald McCoy 12th to the Miami Dolphins and Jahvid Best 21st to the New York Jets.

So far no new big names have thrown their name into the 2010 draft pool. However I would like to point out that UW quarterback Jake Locker IS NOT going to be in the 2010 mock draft. I have seen at least five or more mock drafts in the last few days with Locker still in them.

So with that being said here is my second edition of my 2010 NFL mock draft. My mock draft order follows the offical order.

1) St Louis Rams: Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska

Examination: I still have the best overall player in the draft going No 1. Overall to the St Louis Rams, over Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford and even Eric Berry. The Rams have selected in the top two each of the last three years (Chris Long 08, Jason Smith 09 and now Ndamukong Suh 10). Chris Long has been great at defensive end racking up 83 tackles, nine sacks and one forced fumble in his two years in the NFL, however he only started five games which needs to be changed fast for him to have more of an impact on the defense. Jason Smith still looks to be their LT for the long term after getting into his second year next season. Having Chris Long along with Ndamukong Suh would go a long way in helping improve the Rams defense who allowed 436 points this season. Suh is a dominating force on defense and if the Rams do the right thing and go with Suh first overall that will allow the entire defense to become better.

2) Detroit Lions: Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State

Examination: Yes the top two, and farther down will remain the same for the obvious reasons. The Lions selected Matt Stafford first overall in the 2009 draft, which is ok if you already have a decent, established offensive line. Problem for the Lions is they didn’t really have that offensive line. Stafford was inconsistent in his first season in the NFL, but rookies will have those problems. However Stafford didn’t play the entire season. He was sidelined by a knee injury that ended his season a little more than half way through the season. He also lost Calvin Johnson for a few games which hurt their chemistry. So with the Lions passing on a top left tackle last year there is no other choice other than to take the best offensive tackle in the draft. That tackle being Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung. Okung is an athletic monster; at left tackle at 6-8 300 lbs he’s a perfect fit in Detroit. Giving Stafford and the offense a solid offensive line anchored by Okung will go a long ways to help the Lions grow to a winning franchise

3)Tampa Bay Bucs: Eric Berry, S Tennessee

Examination: The Bucs have their quarterback in Josh Freeman and it’s way too early to reach for a play making wide receiver like Dez Bryant. So the only great pick the Bucs can make in this position is to go with Eric Berry, the talented safety from Tennessee and get some help in the secondary. People have been comparing Berry to former Bucs safety John Lynch. The Buccaneers have Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli currently starting at strong safety and free safety. Adding Eric Berry in the defensive backfield will help improve their young defense greatly.

4) Washington Redskins: Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

Examination: The Redskins have a new head coach and EVP in Mike Shanahan. The last time he was a head coach he got his quarterback in the form of Vandy QB Jay Cutler. Now Shanahan and new GM Bruce Allen have the task at hand of turning around the fortune of the Washington Redskins organization. With current starting quarterback Jason Campbell being a free agent this off season and not really playing as well as he could have to lock up a long term contract the most likely bet is for the Redskins to take the talented accurate quarterback from Oklahoma in Sam Bradford. Bradford is coming off right shoulder surgery but all signs have been great for his recovery and should be throwing in a month or two. Not only does the selection of Campbell fill their long term answer at quarterback but it also will bring a lot of revenue and give the Skins a face of the franchise for years to come.

5) Kansas City Chiefs: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

Examination: Same as my last mock draft with Russell Okung off the board and both the Chiefs and Lions having the similar situations of needing to protect their big money quarterbacks, in this case it’s Matt Cassel and his $63 million dollar contract. The Chiefs have former first round pick Brandon Albert but he’s been underperforming this season allowing 10sacks. Albert can also play at the LG position and that would allow the Chiefs to select talented offensive tackle Bruce Campbell to play LT.

6) Seattle Seahawks: Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame

Examination: Ok first off let me say that you people who read my mock draft, I know there is a lot but at least the ones who comment need to read the examination first before ripping. The Tim Tebow selection was based on Jim Mora Jr. and Greg Knapp still being in charge of the offense. Now with Mora and his entire offensive coaching staff fired and Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates now running the offense the selection of Jimmy Clausen is a perfect fit. Pete Carroll endorsed Matt Hasselbeck but the Seahawks can’t pass on their future starting quarterback two years in a row. Last year they passed on Mark Sanchez and Hasselbeck had another horrendous season this year. He was very hit and miss. I see the Seahawks quarterback situation like the Lions last year. They have an NFL veteran in Matt Hasselbeck (Daunte Culpepper, Lions) but need a long term answer at quarterback and Jimmy Clausen (Matt Stafford, Lions) would be that answer. Clausen can learn behind Hasselbeck, get into the Carroll/Bates system and then when Hasselbeck’s contract runs up at the end of the upcoming season Clausen will become the full time starter and moving forward. He could even take over this season depending on his progression into the NFL which shouldn’t be that much. The Seahawks could also look OT or S here but Berry and Okung/Campbell are both gone so QB is the next biggest need without reaching.

7) Cleveland Browns: Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State:

Examination: The Browns have their front office and coach’s in place now for at least one more year (Eric Mangini was allowed back but he has to perform this upcoming year to stay long term). The Browns problems were never on defense this year, it was always the offense. Josh Cribbs wants out because Mike Holmgren “offered him an insulting contract” so Cribbs doesn’t think he will be back. They do have a quarterback in Brady Quinn and a running back in Jerome Harrison but don’t have any receiving support for Quinn. Don’t tell me that Mike Holmgren, one of the best offensive minded guy to ever be in the NFL to settle for Brain Robieski and Mohamed Massaquoi as his leading wide receivers. Massaquoi led the team in receptions with 34 (tied with running back Jerome Harrison) and receiving yards with 624 your offense is never going to get anywhere. The Browns have almost all the pieces in place on offense with a QB, RB, OL and now just need a real play making wide receiver. The Browns can get that in the form of Dez Bryant with the seventh overall pick.

8) Oakland Raiders: Carlos Dunlap, DE Florida

Examination: I’m sorry but when you are trying to figure out who Al Davis is going to take you can’t. It’s simply impossible. So don’t try to examine it or think of a logical selection because there is a reason they call Oakland the black hole. So you have to think of someone who at least fits Davis’ akward draft style. Fast and for this selection the Raiders need a young defensive end. Richard Seymour is not coming back and Dunlap, although being drafted way too early still has a lot of talent to offer Al Davis.

9) Buffalo Bills: Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers

Examination: Last time I had the Bills still going with an offensive tackle. However the OT was Oklahoma’s Trent Williams. This time I’ve looked at the comparisons of both Davis and Williams and I just have a gut feeling that Davis will wind up being that guy. As the draft continues to move closer and the combine and pro days come and go then it will probably change. Keep in mind that these upcoming mock drafts are before the combine and when teams really get into the draft mind. So all are subject to change but one thing is for sure. If there is no QB on the board (Bradford or Clausen) then the Bills will take an offensive tackle. For now I have that tackle being Anthony Davis from Rutgers.

10) Jacksonville Jaguars: Tim Tebow, QB Florida

Examination: Well Jags fans can now breathe easy that the Seahawks finally wised up, fired Jim Mora Jr and replaced him with Pete Carroll who knows how to be a head coach, and run an explosive offense. So now the Jaguars can get their man, in a non football related move. Everyone who knows the NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars knows that Tim Tebow is the only way to save their franchise and actually put people in the seats. They went with a need pick last year with Eugene Monroe. They can’t do that again this year with their fan base all but gone. Tim Tebow wearing 15 and saying in his home state of Florida.

11) Denver Broncos: Rolando McClain, LB Alabama

Examination: The Broncos off season will kick off when the playoffs end and Brandon Marshall starts to talk again. There have been rumors about a possible trade with the Seattle Seahawks, and some people think that they could get a couple of players plus a draft pick for him but I have put a stop to those rumors with my last article. So people need to put aside any Brandon Marshall trade ideas for a while. Getting back the Broncos pick. For now they still need some help at linebacker and the best linebacker in the draft who can come in right away is Rolando McClain from Alabama. McClain is the best choice here and the best player who fits a need for the Broncos.

12) Miami Dolphins: Terrance Cody, NT Alabama

Examination: The Dolphins could go with a wide out but tell me the last time Parcells took a wide receiver in the first round. Probably before I was born. They have a need at nose tackle and Terrance Cody is a monster nose tackle at 6-5, 365 lbs. So because Parcells won’t take a wide receiver I see Terrance Cody going to the Dolphins 12th overall.

13) San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams, OT Oklahoma

Examination: The 49ers have just about everything on offense. They have a QB in Alex Smith. A running back in Frank Gore. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis as receiving options. All they are missing is a left/right tackle depending on where they put Joe Staley. Either way RT/LT will be the only hole the 49ers need to fix on offense and it just so happens that Williams is available at 13th overall. This would be a dream pick for the 49ers and I do think they will take him.

14) Seattle Seahawks: Charles Brown, OT USC

Examination: Well you know that Carroll won’t have any problems scouting the players from USC. It’s also obvious that Carroll, some point in the draft will take at least two or more players from USC because the Seahawks have needs at RB (McKnight), OT (Brown) and S (Mays) so this pick of offensive tackle Charles Brown will not come as a shock. The Seahawks have already selected their long term answer at quarterback with Jimmy Clausen and now they need to move to their long term answer at left tackle. Walter Jones missed the entire 2009 season because he was unable to “get started” after having off season knee surgery. Plus Jones is going to be 36 come the 2010 season and the Seahawks have seen that Sean Locklear won’t be that tackle to replace Jones long term. With Okung, Campbell, Davis and Williams all off the board at OT the Seahawks still need to take Charles Brown to solidify their long term answer at left tackle.

15) New York Giants: Gerald McCoy, DT Oklahoma

Examination: Well the Giants and Eli Manning worked wonders with Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Dennis Dixon and Kevin Boss so they don’t have any problems at receiver but if they do want to patch up a need it would be on defensive line. They could go with Sergio Kindle from Texas, which I had them going with in my last mock draft. However if you look at how much emphasis Jerry Reese puts on the defensive line then the pick of Gerald McCoy 15th overall is a perfect selecting. Also defensive tackle is a need for the Giants.
16) Tennessee Titans: Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB Texas
Examination: The Titans and Jeff Fisher have one major need and only one need and that’s to get an aggressive, attacking and relentless defensive end this off season. They do have options to go sign a top defensive end in free agency like Julius Peppers, Richard Seymour and others but for the long term answer and overall talent for what the Titans need in a defensive end Kindle is the best of all their options. Kindle is this year’s version of Brian Orakpo, also out of Texas who went 14th overall to the Redskins last year. Kindle is very physically gifted but only had 3.5 sacks in his senior season so he might fall but I see Kindle going 16th overall to the Tennessee Titans.

17) San Francisco 49ers: Joe Haden, CB Florida

Examination: Well now that Tebow can go to Jacksonville it means that Haden will most likely fall to the 49ers who are in desperate need of an excelted cover corner back. Seattle might all snatch him before he gets to San Fran but for now I have Haden going the Niners 17th overall. Dre Bly won’t cut it and the majority of the Niners defensive backs have been injured this past season and they don’t have a talented young corner to lead the defensive backs. So with the 17th overall pick the Niners can fill their void at corner with Joe Haden from Florida.

18) Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Iupati, OG Idaho

Examination: Well this is kind of a tough spot for the Steelers to pick because its way too early to select OG Mike Iupati but they still need some serious help on the offensive line. Watching Max Starks and Willie Colon against the Dolphins in the first round of the playoffs just made me hang my head when every time you saw a flag being thrown you knew it was holding on Colon or Starks. So with that being said the Steelers need to improve the talent at OG and they can do that by selecting Mike Iupati 18th overall from Idaho, even though it’s a little early.

19) Atlanta Falcons: Navorro Bowman, LB Penn State

Examination: Mike Smith has led the Falcons to consecutive winning seasons for the first time in…well it’s been so long I can’t remember. The point is their defense has come around but still needs some work. They selected Curtis Lofton at MLB last year and he’s done wonders for the Falcons defense. They can improve upon that with the selection of Navorro Bowman 19th overall.

20) Houston Texans: Jahvid Best, RB Cal

Examination: The Texans have two key needs that could turn into three depending on what Kevin Walter decides to do. The Texans need a top corner, a bursting running back and possibly another wide receiver. Taking those three positions and then looking at who is still on the board the best pick for the Texans is to go with home run hitting running back Jahvid Best from Cal. Best was a Heisman favorite coming into the season but due to a concussion he had to miss the last part of the season. However Jahvid Best has been touted as the closet college player to Chris Johnson. For a team like the Texans who already have a great passing game with Matt Schaub adding Jahvid Best will make them one of the best teams in the AFC.

21) Cincinnati Bengals: Arrelious Benn, WR Illinois

Examination: It was very clear to me watching the Bengals-Jets game what the Bengals need to fix via the NFL draft. That is to add another top notch wide receiver, who is explosive and electric as the old Chad Johnson. The running game and the Bengals defense is really what led them into the playoffs this year so they are going to need to have their passing attack comes back and Chad Johnson and Laveranues Coles are not going to cut it. So with the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL draft I have Illinois play making wide receiver Arrelious Benn going to the Bengals.

22) New England Patriots: CJ Spiller, RB Clemson

Examination: As usual the Pats have four picks in the first two rounds and still have a lot to improve on. This seemed to be the most interesting season for the Patriots in a long time with Bill going for it on fourth down and then losing in the first round of the playoffs to the visiting Baltimore Ravens. For the entire year the Pats never had a running game. Also their linebackers outside of Mayo underperformed so LB will be a need as well. However I don’t see a linebacker for the Pats to take and currently Spiller is the best player available so it makes perfect sense for the Pats to take him 22nd overall.

23) Green Bay Packers: Jason Fox, OT Miami

Examination: Well here we have to go with another early selection but the Packers have a serious need on the offensive line and mostly at LT. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher won’t make it another year and protecting Aaron Rogers is going to be curtail to their success. So I have Jason Fox going to the Packers 24th overall.

24) Philadelphia Eagles: Derrick Morgan, DE GT

Examination: Watching the Eagles get destroyed by Romo and the Cowboys offense showed me what they need to do to improve, mainly on defense. The Eagles NEED a young aggressive pass rushing defensive end to put more pressure on the likes of Eli Manning and Tony Romo. They could also improve the defensive backs and linebackers as well with this pick but seeing as they go with flash Morgan is the right pick.

25) Arizona Cardinals: Brandon Spikes, LB Florida

Examination: Well in my last mock draft I had the Cardinals taking OT Charles Brown. Well in my second mock draft he’s long gone to Seattle. With Karlos Dansby and many others wanting new contracts and Arizona not wanting to spend the money they are going to have to replace them through the draft. The number one need is offensive line but there aren’t really any offensive tackles that would be a good pick here so Spikes is the right pick to replace if they don’t bring back Dansby.

26) Baltimore Ravens: Brandon LaFell, WR LSU

Examination: Putting up three points against the Colts in the playoffs isn’t going to get you far at all and no one knows if there will be a wide receiver on the Ravens depth chart next year so no matter what they are going to have to get all the talented receivers they can. Brandon LaFell will get that started in the right direction.

27) Dallas Cowboys: Golden Tate, WR Notre Dame

Examination: The Roy Williams experiment in Dallas has gone worse than the David Beckham experiment in LA. However Beckham is at least decent and helpful in LA where as Roy Williams is a expensive paper weight in Dallas. Miles Austin will most likely stay and they still have Jason Witten but they are going to need another sure handed wide receiver to help out Romo next year. Tate is the best wide receiver available at 27th overall.

28) San Diego Chargers: Dan Williams, DT Tennessee

Examination: Jamal Williams is getting up there in age at 34 and they need a young defensive monster at DT for the long term and Dan Williams at 6-3, 327 lbs would fit the bill perfectly. They don’t need another running back because Darren Sproles is still in town so DT/NT is their next need to fill.

29) Minnesota Vikings*: Patrick Robinson, CB Florida State

Examination: It’s hard to think the Vikings defense still needs a little bit of help. However they do need to add another talented starting cornerback to the defensive backs. The Vikings can also go with Colt McCoy or defensive line help. But Robinson has the best value for the Vikings at a need position.

30) New York Jets*: Damian Williams, WR USC

Examination: The Jets have almost everything on offense except a young talented wide receiver. Braylon Edwards is full of questions and the Jets NEED a wide receiver who has real catchable hands and someone who can stretch the field for Mark Sanchez, also from USC. So this pick is an obvious one for the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.

31) New Orleans Saints*: Sean Weatherspoon, LB Missouri

Examination: Well Weatherspoon is the best available player and the Saints defense is in need of a young talented strong side linebacker. So Weatherspoon would be the right pick for the Saints.

32) Indianapolis Colts*: Bryan Bulaga, OT Iowa

Examination: Well with their being only four teams remaining in the playoffs (Colts, Saints, Vikings and Jets) there is always those players you select at the backend of the draft that can always become the next star in your franchise. In this case Bryan Bulaga has that chance to be a great starting left or right tackle for the Colts.
Santonio Holmes turned out great for the Steelers.

NOTE: * means that team is in the playoff and current pick isn’t a lock (Overall wise).

Sound off

Seahawks targeting Broncos WR Brandon Marshall?

First off this is just a rumor, thought up three weeks ago by ESPN NFC West blogger Mike Sando. Sando, who is a good friend of mine, suggested that the Seahawks could package one of their top three draft selections in the 2010 NFL draft as well as Deion Branch, who has underperformed in Seattle to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the standout Brandon Marshall, who is a restricted free agent this off season.

Sando does bring up a good point about shipping Branch and one of the Seahawks first three picks off to Denver for Marshall however since the hiring of former USC head coach Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates as the offensive coordinator the idea of Brandon Marshall in Seattle has gotten more and more attention.

However there are a lot of things that need to happen first before there is even a chance for the Seahawks to speak with the Broncos about Brandon Marshall.

First the Seahawks need to hire a general manager to officially replace Tim Ruskell who was forced to resign in December of 2009. The leading candidate is former Tennessee Titans GM Floyd Reese who has worked with Pete Carroll in the past.

Second the Denver Broncos have to tender a contract to Marshall, probably in the neighborhood of $9 million. After they have offered Marshall a contract tender then the Broncos, if they decided to want to move Marshall could then start looking for trade partners.

Third the Broncos would have to work out the right package to make a deal work because the NFL business is not Madden 2010.

The Seahawks currently hold the No. 6, No. 14 and No. 40 overall picks in the draft, one of which, the 14th overall pick belonging to the Broncos. I don't see the Seahawks trading Denver back their first round pick but the two teams could work out a draft pick swap.

There are a few interesting notes to include about this Brandon Marshall Seahawks topic.

- WR TJ Houshmandzadeh called Brandon Marshall after Pete Carroll hired offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and when TJ asked Brandon about Jeremy Bates he said "You will love the guy". So Bates and Marshall have a connection going back a few years when Bates was the offensive coordinator in Denver.

- Marshall worked with offensive coordinator Jermey Bates and possibly Jedd Fisch as the quarterbacks coach so there is some history with some of Carroll's guys and Brandon Marshall.

Now I do need to note that there are at least obsticals the Seahakws have before anyone can mention a Brandon Marshall to Seattle rumor

One, the Seattle Seahawks NEED to select a new general manager to assist Pete Carroll and make the transactions go through for the Seahawks. Pete Carroll is not the GM, he is the executive vice president of football operations and head coach. No moves can be made involving player movement without a GM.

Two, the collective bargaining agreement needs to be situated one way or another because it will effect Brandon Marshall's status as a free agent. If there is a new CBA in place before the deadline then Marshall becomes an unrestricted free agent and unless the Broncos decide to franchise tag him the Seahawks won't have to make a trade for Marshall. If there is not a new CBA in place then Marshall becomes a restricted free agent because he has not played six years in the NFL. So then the Seahawks would have to match the tender offer and work out a trade with the Broncos IF the Seahawks decided that they want to pursue Brandon Marshall.

Three, depending on what happens after the CBA deadline the Seahawks still have to create the right package to offer the Broncos. It will not be Branch and a mid round pick for Marshall because that wouldn't even work in a fantasy league.

So there is A LOT that has to happen between now and the time the Seahawks could possibly be thinking about having Brandon Marshall dawning Seahawks blue.

So this should put a stop to the Brandon Marshall Seahawks rumors until the Seahawks have hired a new GM and the NFL collective bargening agreement has been sorted out.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Report: Pete Carroll Resigns at USC; Set to become next Seahawks head coach

The wait is over; the Seattle Seahawks and former USC head coach Pete Carroll have come to an agreement to make Carroll the next Seahawks head coach, this according to the LA Times.

Since the Seahawks fired former head coach Jim Mora Jr, the team has been in direct contact with the Trojans head coach. When the news broke around 10 A.M Friday morning the quick names that came out were Vikings defensive coordinator Lesley Frazier (who would fill the NFL's Rooney Rule) and other notable suitors.

Then ESPN's Chris Mortenson reported that the Seahawks had been in contact with USC head coach Pete Carroll, and that the interest was mutual on both sides and that Carroll would become the next head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Right after the news broke about Carroll becoming the next Seahawks head coach there was massive uproar from both Trojan fans and Seahawks fans. Many people see Carroll's last stint in the NFL a complete bust, which appalls me.

However over the next 24-48 hours there had been conflicting reports about Carroll's role in Seattle and whether or not that would make or break Carroll's decision to leave Hollywood for Seattle, which has seen a few big names leave SoCal for Seattle.

Reports had come out that Carroll was going to be named the teams head coach and president. Then there were other reports saying that Paul Alan and Tod Leiweke were not going to give full control of the team to Carroll. Then there were even two or three reports saying that Carroll wanted full control and because he wasn't going to get that he was going to return to USC.

Well now there is only one report and that is that Pete Carroll has resigned as head coach at USC and will be named the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks organization as early as Monday, this according to the LA Times.

Now with the hiring of Pete Carrol has also brought along some questions and controversy.

- Why of all coaches did the Seahawks pick Pete Carroll instead of other names like Frazier, John Fox and other NFL names out there. Why did the Seahawks pick a college coach. Well I have the answer for that.

- In some people's eyes the Seahawks basically made a laughing stock of the NFL's Rooney Rule which states that an NFL team must interview a minority candidate for any coaching of font office job before making an official hire. Well the Seahawks did interview Vikings defensive coordinator Lesley Frazier, however some people thought the interview was just to fulfill the rule, not that it was to actually offer him the job.

- How much control over the franchise will Pete Carroll receive? Reports have said it's not about the money for Carroll because he made $4.4 million at USC and will now make $7 million in Seattle but it wasn't about the money it was about the control. Carroll never had control in New York or New England. In Seattle he will at least have 60/40 control, him being the 60 in all personnel decision and over the final 53 man roster.

- Will Carroll have success in Seattle and how long will it take to get that success? Carroll, while some people think is bust in the NFL, still had a 33-31 NFL record and also made it to the playoffs and had a 1-2 record in the playoffs so no matter what he is a step up from Jim Mora Jr. But the last two years the Seahawks have combined for nine wins (4 in 08 and 5 in 09) and before that they had five straight seasons of 9+ wins so they needed to go find someone who is a winner and knows how to build a winning program, something Carroll knows a lot about.

Now the timing of the Carroll to Seattle move is a very opportunistic for Pete Carroll for many reasons.

One, USC is facing, and will continue to face sanctions for the Reggie Bush, O.J Mays (Basketball) and more recently Joe McKnight incidences and Carroll obviously doesn't want to be around for it, and he has a great shot at a job that Carroll has been wanting for a long time and that it to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks as well as front office title. Much like Mike Shanahan in Washington. HC/EVP.

Also as Carroll is taking over the Seahawks, they are currently wanting to rebuild the franchise starting with the core and branching out. This is great for Carroll because he wants to be heavily involved in building this franchise the way he wants it and even though the Seahawks will hire a new GM as well both will have a lot of hands on work on the team. Plus with the Seahawks having three of the top 40 picks in the 2010 NFL draft this is the perfect shot for Carroll to get things going early in Seattle with a young QB, possibly Jimmy Clausen who he tried to recruit to USC but wound up losing him to Notre Dame.

Plus Carroll also has safety Taylor Mays, running back Joe McKnight, DE Everson Griffen, WR Damian Williams and OT Charles Brown entering the draft and you can bet that Brown and Mays will be high on his list because both fill needs the Seahawks have.

Not only does Carroll have his seniors(and some juniors) entering the draft but he also has former USC Trojans already on the Seahawks like MLB Lofa Tatupu, DE Lawrence Jackson and other players from the PAC-10 as well.

Any way you look at it this is the "perfect" job opportunity for Pete Carroll in the NFL. Let's run down why this is a great move for Carroll and then separately why it's great for the Seahawks.

Pete Carroll:

- Money, both from the Seahawks stand point of being able to have a now devoted owner in Paul Allen, who is the NFL's richest owner, and also a team that didn't make the playoffs by a mile so will have a easlier time being able to sign free agents.

- Power, I know the Seahawks aren't making Carroll the team president or the GM however I see him in the same role as Mike Shanahan in Washington where he is the head coach, and has 60/40 or 70/30 say in the final roster and all player movements. The Seahawks won't give him 100/0 control but they will give him a majority stake. However as I have learn over the past two days the reason why the Seahawks still want to hire a GM is to keep some form of balance in the organization.

-Division, not many people have spoken about this but I have looked over and realized that it seems harder to win the PAC-10 than it does the NFC West where ESPN's Mark Schlereth said Pete Carroll can bring this team back to a Super Bowl contender and definitely back to winning the NFC West.

-Draft position, this is probably the second best thing next to money/power for Pete Carroll because for a college coach coming into the NFL, and knowing a lot about college scouting and players in college this will be very huge. Carroll is in the position to select a QB like Jimmy Clausen who would fit will with Carroll's offense as well as a young LT like Charles Brown. Also He still has a high second round pick where he could pick up another starter for the long term. So Pete Carroll, also depending on what he does in free agency can really get things going in Seattle if he makes the right draft picks.

Seattle Seahawks:

-The Seahawks wanted a guy like Carroll: The Seahawks said that what they were looking for in a head coach was someone with experience, a great knowledge of the college ranks and someone with impeccable coaching skills. Well Carroll fit's the bill and is also a great players coach, and will sit more than well with the current and new players for the Seahawks.

- Outside the box thinking: The Seahawks hired Jim Mora Jr two years ago and in that contract included the deal that Mora would be named the head coach after Mike Holmgren retired. Well Mora got the job and lost it. Now when the Seahawks were thinking of their next head coach they wanted someone outside the box, someone who a lot of people wouldn't think would be the next Seahawks head coach. Unlike John Fox or Lesley Frazier, Carroll, who has been in the NFL before didn't come up in conversation with a lot of people to be the next Seahawks head coach but he will definitely get this ship turned around.

So with all the details worked out and all the contract finalized there is nothing standing in the way of the Seattle Seahawks naming former USC head coach Pete Carroll as the teams next head coach.

NOTES:

Jeremy Bates will follow Pete Carroll to Seattle as the teams new offensive coordinator, officially waving good bye to Greg Knapp.

Ken Norton will also follow Pete Carroll to Seattle as the teams linebacker coach.

Pete Carroll, as the title shows has officially stepped down as head coach at USC.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Check out Lars’ sports blog: http://hansonsportsblog.blogspot.com/

Seahawks, Ryan agree on six year contract

The Seahawks off season has officially started today and no it's not because they hired a new team president and GM. They did not decided to join the coaching fire party that went on today so Mora, Knapp and Bradley all still have jobs with the Seahawks.

No today the Seahawks and Pro Bowl alternate punter Jon Ryan came to an agreement on a six year $9.1 million dollar contract with $1.9 million guaranteed and $1.6 million in signing bonus.

The Seahawks signed Ryan last year after they decided to parted ways with underachieving punter Ryan Plackemeier mid season.

Ryan racked up 4,068 yards on 88 punts with a 46 yard average per punt and 28 touchbacks.

Ryan was set to be a restricted free agent this off season but now doesn't have to worry about his future.

Now the Seahawks next move is to decide on their new team president and GM. Also they will have to decide about their coaching staff as well and mainly if Jim Mora Jr. will be back or not.

2010 NFL Mock draft: First Round

The time has come where we transition from one season into two different seasons. The playoffs and post season and the off season aka looking ahead to the 2010 NFL draft.

So far Cal running back Jahvid Best, Tennessee safetey Eric Berry, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen and other projected first round picks have already declared for the 2010 Draft.

So with that being said my first mock draft of 2010 is here. My mock draft order follows the offical order.

1) St Louis Rams: Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska

Examination: Well the most dominant player in the 2010 Draft, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is the first player selected in the 2010 NFL draft. With the St Louis Rams going no where but up, and acquiring talent along the way the best place to start is at defensive tackle. With new head coach and former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnolo putting a lot of attention on the defensive side, it's only fitting that the electric, overpowering 6-3, 295 lbs goes to the St Louis Rams and Steve Spagnolo with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft.


2) Detroit Lions: Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State

Examination: Well in the 2009 NFL draft the Lions got their "frachise quarterback" in Matt Stafford and it's now time to get someone to protect that $72 million dollar pick. With current LT Jeff Backus not even being able to protect the air it's time to draft their other corner stone of the franchise in Russell Okung. Okung is an athletic monster; at left tackle at 6-8 300 lbs he's a perfect fit in Detroit. Giving Stafford and the offense a solid offensive line anchored by Okung will go a long ways to help the Lions grow to a winning franchise.

3)Tampa Bay Bucs: Eric Berry, S Tennessee

Examination: With Ndamukong Suh off the board the Bucs have to go to the next best defensive player at a position of need. That player would be hard hitting safety Eric Berry from Tennessee. The Buccaneers have Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli currently starting at strong safety and free safety. Adding Eric Berry in the defensive backfield will help improve their young defense greatly.

4) Washington Redskins: Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

Examination: Well it won't matter if Jim Zorn is the head coach in Washington or not but the fact is the Redskins need a new start at quarterback. Last off season they went to Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez and even Josh Freeman but wound up sticking with Jason Campbell. With Campbell becoming a free agent and not really playing well enough to deserve a return ticket to D.C the Skins will need to find their replacement. Who better than former Heisman trophy winning QB Sam Bradford? Bradford has missed the majority of the 2009 season but already declared for the draft after he announced he would have shoulder surgery. Even with the year off Bradford is the best NFL ready quarterback in this draft class with Jimmy Clausen falling, Tim Tebow finishing behind Bradford and Locker and Ryan Mallet going back to school. So with the fifth overall pick the Redskins will take Sam Bradford.

5) Kansas City Chiefs: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

Examination: With Russell Okung off the board and both the Chiefs and Lions having the similar situations of needing to protect their big money quarterbacks, in this case it's Matt Cassel and his $63 million dollar contract. The Chiefs have former first round pick Brandon Albert but he's been under performing this season allowing 10sacks. Albert can also play at the LG position and that would allow the Chiefs to select talented offensive tackle Bruce Campbell to play LT.

6) Seattle Seahawks: Tim Tebow, QB Florida

Examination: Yes, now before everyone starts sending me hate mail for not drafting an OT, RB, WR, DL or anything else I'm going to give you three clear cut reasons why Tim Tebow is the right pick for the Seahawks first of two first round picks. One, Tim Tebow is the best athlete in the draft. He's an inteligent QB who can throw very well and can also make the plays with his feet. Tebow is a left handed version of Jake Locker. Tebow can learn the pro style offense from Hasselbeck for a year and then take over, but can also be a QB that can bring an added piece to make the offense electric his rookie season too. Tebow needs to work on his delivery with Hasselbeck and the new OC. Two, Tebow will give it his all every single play of every single game he's in which might not be starting next season but it could be depending on his progression. But the Seahawks need a player, and especially at QB who will give it his all every game of his career and also a QB who is rarely hurt and very durable. Third and final reason is the fact that Seattle doesn't have a real QB picture long term. Seneca Wallace isn't it and neither is Mike Teel and knowing Tebow's experience in the best conference in CFB in the SEC he's definitely the man for the job in Seattle if Bradford is gone. NOTE: This selection is pending what happens in free agency, if they get a LT and or a LG then Tebow would be a great pick.

7) Cleavland Browns: Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State

Examination: Well big ol' Mike Holmgren is now in charge of the Browns organization and knowing the man on a personal level he's gonna make this team a winner. First off he's going to have to bring life to this wastland of an offense and how better to do that then select Oklahoma State wide out Dez Bryant with the sixth overall pick. The pick of Bryant makes sense on a few levels, mainly the fact that they have NO receivers but all around play maker in Josh Cribbs and you will need more than a guy who seems to be the only alert player on offense other than Harrison. Bryant, missing most of 2009 for NCAA violations is still the best play maker at wide receiver in the draft and will help bring water to a desert wasteland in Cleavland, and Brady Quinn will love this pick.

8) Oakland Raiders: Rolando McClain, LB Alabama

Examination: I do apologize to Rolando you have been selected to go into the black hole known as Oakland, and the ageless wonder Al Davis has called your name. Ok enough with the sarcasm and back to the pick. McClain is a blazing outside linebacker and will fit great into what they are doing in Oakland. Speed, speed and oh yea more speed. McClain I could see as the next Patrick Willis if he gets his shot in Oakland. This is a great pick and I wish Rolando McClain luck in Oakland.

9) Buffalo Bills: Trent Williams, OT Oklahoma

Examination: Well so far four players have been selected from the great state of Oklahoma and Trent Williams going to the Bills at nine overall is a steal for the Bills. They could go QB with Jimmy Clausen but he's not that worth it. They could go DT with Gerald McCoy to fit with Marcus Stroud. But going with Williams is the right choice for the Bills. They traded Jason Peters to the Eagles last year and really need to find a replacement for him. They have the rest of the offensive line but left tackle and with the selection if Williams eighth overall they can plug him right in and he'll be a starter for a long time in the NFL.

10) Jacksonville Jaguars: Joe Haden, CB Florida

Examination: Sorry to all Jags fans but your dream of Tim Tebow staying in Florida is over. The Tebow pick, if he was available is not a field move it's a money move. I know the NFL is a business but give yourself a player who you need, not just for money. He's rocking in Seattle with the best fans in the NFL the 12th man. However you do keep shutdown CB Joe Haden in the state of Florida and he fills a need at the second corner back opposite of Mathis. Haden is the best cover corner in the draft by far and he'd be a real added benefit for the Jags defense and Jack Del Rio.

11) Denver Broncos(via CHI): Terrance Cody, DT Alabama

Examination: The first half of the season the Broncos had the best defense in the NFL not allowing a single second half score. Well now they are fighting to get into the playoffs at 8-7. However this pick is thanks to the Jay Cutler trade, who by the way has thrown 25 Int's in his first year in Chicago. Anyone saying encore? Back to the Broncos pick. Mike Nolan has an electric pass rusher in Elvis Dumervil and a talented trio of linebackers. The one thing I see as a weakness is a strong NT in their 3-4 defense. With the selection of Terrance Cody he'd be a great fit in Nolan's defense right in at nose tackle. It just keeps getting better and better for Denver.

12) Miami Dolphins: Gerald McCoy, DT Oklahoma

Examination: The "Big Tuna" is large and in charge in Miami and he's done an excellent job turning around the Dolphins organization in two years but is still missing a top notch defensive/nose tackle on defense. Parcells finally will get his guy with the selection of Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy 15th overall. McCoy is a beast at 6-3, 296 lbs with above average speed and an a tough SOB who will play through injuries giving it all he's got. That's a Parcell's guy. So with the 12th pick in the 2010 draft I have McCoy going to the Dolphins.

13) San Francisco 49ers: Bryan Bulaga, OT Iowa

Examination: The 49ers have just about everything on offense. They have a QB in Alex Smith. A running back in Frank Gore. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis as receiving options. All they are missing is a left/right tackle depending on where they put Joe Staley. Either way RT/LT will be the only hole the 49ers need to fix on offense and it just so happens that Bulaga is available at 13th overall. This would be a dream pick for the 49ers and I do think they will take him.

14) Seattle Seahawks(via DEN): Taylor Mays, S USC

Examination: Well with Tim Tebow already in the fold via the sixth overall pick the Seattle Seahawks can go to work on their next need, but this time on defense. That need being a young talented safety. Taylor Mays, a Seattle native, would be the next best safety behind Eric Berry and would be a great selection 14th overall. The Seahawks have some other questions at LT, LG, DE and RB but I don't see Charles Brown or Anthony Davis being worth a top 15 pick. The only other possibility would be DE Derrick Morgan from GT. But I'm going to go with safety Taylor Mays to the Seattle Seahawks 14th overall.

15) New York Giants: Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB Texas

Examination: This was one of the hardest predictions I had to make because looking at the Giants they really don't have any major glaring need. However DE Osi Umenyiora was benched this season and it could be that the Giants decide to move Umenyiora this off season. That would bring an opening at defensive end and Sergio Kindle, who reminds me a lot of last years top DE/OLB from Texas Brain Orakpo who went to the Washington Redskins and dominated in his rookie season. Kindle could bring the same presents to the Giants defense, which allowed the 3rd most point in the NFL this season.

16) Tennessee Titans: Derrick Morgan, DE Georgia Tech

Examination: In recent drafts the Tennessee Titans have been known for not drafting need but overall talent. S Michael Griffin, RB Chris Johnson and WR Kenny Britt was a need and a great talent pick. So that's why I have decided to go with Derrick Morgan 16th overall to the Titans. Also the Titans can use a talented, speedy defensive end on the defensive line with defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil.

17) San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Robinson, CB Florida State

Examination: Well their ideal corner back, Joe Haden is already off the board so at this point the 49ers need to address their corner back need with the next best CB in the draft which I believe is FSU's Patrick Robinson. Robinson is in competition with Michigan's Donovan Warren to be the next corner back drafted after Joe Haden. Robinson has top end speed and prototypical height for a No 1. corner in the NFL at 5-11, 192 lbs. The 49ers will have to hone in his skills and keep him from jumping routes too early. He's excellent at reading routes and is great at jumping routes but sometimes jumps too early. The Niners could also go QB with Jimmy Clausen but I don't think they are giving up on Alex Smith so Robinson is the right pick for the 49ers 17th overall.

18) Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Iupati, OG Idaho

Examination: Well this is kind of a tough spot for the Steelers to pick because it's way to early to select OG Mike Iupati but they still need some serious help on the offensive line. Watching Max Starks and Willie Colon against the Dolphins this week just made me hang my head when every time you saw a flag being thrown you knew it was holding on Colon or Starks. So with that being said the Steelers need to improve the talent at OG and they can do that by selecting Mike Iupati 18th overall from Idaho, even though it's a little early.

19) Atlanta Falcons: Navorro Bowman, LB Penn State

Examination: Mike Smith has led the Falcons to consecutive winning seasons for the first time in...well it's been so long I can't remember. The point is their defense has come around but still needs some work. They selected Curtis Lofton at MLB last year and he's done wonders for the Falcons defense. They can improve apon that with the selection of Navorro Bowman 19th overall.

20) Houston Texans: Donovan Warren, CB Michigan

Examination: The Texans came close to making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but fell just short on week 17, even though they got the win. Going into the off season they have needs at CB, S, DT and maybe another WR if Kevin Walter leaves. Since Mays and Berry are off the board and there aren't any DT's that would work for the Texas and CB is a much bigger need for them. So with the 20th pick overall to the Houston Texans I have them selecting the second best CB in the draft Donovan Warren from Michigan.

21) New York Jets*: Jahvid Best, RB Cal

Examination: Well this is more of a "what can we do to add more talent pick" for the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Thomas Jones, still a productive runner is getting up there in age and they could sure use a player like Best who has the similar game of Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson. Add that with Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense becomes even that much better.

22) Baltimore Ravens*: Arrelious Benn, WR Illinois

Examination: The Ravens offense is almost complete. They have an electric running game with Ray Rice, a stand out quarterback in Joe Flacco and a great offensive line. They have some questions at wide out however and Derrick Mason retires again they will need another big play WR, and Benn would be a huge upgrade over Mason no matter what. So give Joe Flacco the missing piece to the Ravens offense and select Arrelious Benn 22nd overall.

23) Arizona Cardinals*: Charles Brown, OT USC

Examination: With the Cardinals going 10-6, winning the NFC West for the second year in a row they still are a hit and miss team. They need some serious help on the offensive line with Mike Gandy and Levi Brown both playing horrible this season giving up 11.5 sacks combine and 10+ false start penalties. They did good with Chris Wells late in the draft last year. Can they make it two in a row with Charles Brown filling their hole at LT?

24) Green Bay Packers*: Jason Fox, OT Miami

Examination: Well here we have to go with another early selection but the Packers have a serious need on the offensive line and mostly at LT. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher won't make it another year and protecting Aaron Rogers is going to be crutial to their success. So I have Jacson Fox going to the Packers 24th overall.

25) Cincinnati Bengals*: Brandon LaFell, WR LSU

Examination: RIP Chris Henry before I say anything else. The Bengals haven't put up more than 25 points in a game more than one time this season and that's not good. In the wake of Chris Henry passing and Chad Johnson seeming to have lost a little bit of his greatness the Bengals NEED a true No 2. WR next year.

26) New England Patriots*: Corey Wootton, DE Northwestern

Examination: We all know Bill Belichick doesn't like first round picks but this time he's selecting on the back end so he's ok with it. Belichick likes players who are talented and that don't break the bank. In this case they need a new young defensive end in their 3-4 defense and Wootton would be a great selection 26th overall.

27) Philadelphia Eagles*: Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB TCU

Examination: The team that always comes out winners in the NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles are back at it again, this time on defense with talented DE Jerry Hughes from TCU. He would be a great replacement for Victor Abiamiri who has majorly underachieved this season.

28) Dallas Cowboys*: Golden Tate, WR Notre Dame

Examination: It all makes sense. Jerry Jones, big name player from a big name school and at a need position. I don't see Roy Williams sticking around in Dallas because of Miles Austin and the fact that Golden Tate would be a better fit for the Cowboys than Williams. Either way the Cowboys need another WR and Tate is the only remaining one with talent.

29) Minnesota Vikins*: Colt McCoy, QB Texas

Examination: Why not? Colt McCoy is the most accurate passer in the draft and fits well with the Vikings offense, but still would need to adjust into the pro style offense in Minnesota. The Vikins need a QB long term after Favre is gone so make the pick now, don't wait to see what Favre will do, because we never know when he will.

30) San Diego Chargers*: Dan Williams, DT Tennessee

Examination: Jamal Williams is getting up their in age at 34 and they need a young defensive monster at DT for the long term and Dan Williams at 6-3, 327 lbs would fit the bill perfectly.

31) New Orleans Saints*: Sean Weatherspoon, LB Missouri

Examination: Well Weatherspoon is the best available player and the Saints defense is in need of a young talented strong side linebacker. So Weatherspoon would be the right pick for the Saints.

32) Indianapolis Colts*: Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers

Examination: The Colts pretty much have everything on offense except a running game but I still believe in Addai. However they don't' have an elite left tackle to protect their man in Peyton Manning. So with the selection of Anthony Davis at 32 the Colts would get their long term man at left tackle.

NOTE: * means that team is in the playoff and current pick isn't a lock (Overall wise).

Sound off

Seahawks Draft Prospects: OT Russell Okung

As today dons a new year and more importantly a new decade in Seahawks history. However they still have one little bit of 2009 left attached to them, that being their final regular season game this Sunday at home against the Tennessee Titans and C2k Chris Johnson.

After the Tennessee game this Sunday the Seahawks will go into full on off season mode, starting with the hiring of the teams new president/GM replacing Tim Ruskell who resigned in December.

Once that new GM is in place they will have a lot of work ahead of them to add talented to this depleted roster. The Seahawks new GM will have to attack some of those needs through free agency as well as the 2010 draft where the Seahawks have two first round picks (7th and 19th currently projected).

The Seahawks will be going into the off season needing to address the following needs.

Starting left tackle to replace Walter Jones immediately.

Starting left guard to finally replace Steve Hutchinson and give the Seahawks a real strong left side once again.

A young talented running back to give the Seahawks a true presents in the running department, something they haven't had since Shaun Alexander.

An aggressive, strong defensive end to give the Seahawks a real pass rush, something they have seriously lacked the last two years.

A tall, speedy, physical corner back to match up against some of the tall NFC West WR's like Larry Fitzgerald.

A tall, explosive play maker at wide receiver to complement TJ Houshmandzadeh over the middle, and a real No. 1 target for Matt Hasselbeck.

TALENT, TALENT AND MORE TALENT.

So where do you start? Well over the next next three to four months leading up to the 2010 NFL draft I'll be profiling a lot of possible draft selections for the Seattle Seahawks at the need positions I just listed above.

So with that being said, first on the list is Oklahoma State left guard Russell Okung.

Physical stature and Skills:

6-8, 300 lbs, long arms, quick feet, 34 consecutive starts, great agility, Patient and doesn't over extend

Character/Experience :

Leader on and off the field, hark working, consistency throughout his entire college career and has started all four years at Oklahoma State.

NFL comparison:

Joe Thomas-Great footwork, experienced and hard working along with all the intangibles.

ESPN scouts Inc Todd McShay has Russell Okung as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2010 draft and a top seven pick. Okung might have a hard time slipping by the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions who will pick before the Seattle Seahawks, but do have a lot of other needs on their team as well.

On the Seahawks draft board Okung, with out any doubt will be the first player on their board. He could be the second behind Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh who, baring a trade or miracle won't fall to the Seahawks between 5th and 7th overall.

You can follow Lars at Twitter http://twitter.com/larshanson

Check out Lars’ sports blog: http://hansonsportsblog.blogspot.com/