The do’s and don’ts for Pete Carroll (free agency edition)

This isn’t Pete Carroll’s first go around as an NFL head coach but it is his first off season as a NFL head coach AND executive vice president. Not only is Carroll the EVP and head coach but if there is a discrepancy between Carroll and new general manager John Schneider, Pete Carroll would win the coin flip 100 percent of the time.

According to Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke the team will be built around both Carroll and Schneider but should their be a discrepancy about a trade/signing/draft pick Carroll would be awarded his decision because the team is going to be built around Carroll’s philosophy.

Now as Pete Carroll and John Schneider continue this rebuilding process this is the year where it can make or break the success of the Seahawks for a long time.

The Seahawks have two first round pick in the upcoming 2010 NFL draft and three of the top 40 picks in the draft so that’s where Carroll and his crack staff can’t slip up.

Carroll also has to use free agency as a source to fill some of the teams needs as well. Carroll has said from day one he wants competition at every position because having competition drives everyone involved and inevitably makes everyone better.

So as Carroll and Schneider get ready to begin their first off season together they are going to need to make the right moves in free agency to set up their success in the draft, which will be the bread and butter of their first off season together.

So with that being said here are a few do’s and don’ts for Pete Carroll and John Schneider in their first free agency.

Do’s:

- (do) Bring in only the players that fit perfectly into both Carroll and Schneider’s philosophy. For example if a player fits into the zone blocking scheme at a need position on the offensive line then bring that player in. If there is some concern at all about a player fitting into the scheme at any position avoid that player because they can’t afford to take risks this off season.

- (do) Sign a defensive back (cornerback or safety) that can be an immediate starter next season. One of the biggest areas for concern with the Seahawks is their defensive backfield, mainly at safety. Jordan Babineaux and Deon Grant where the starting safeties last season. Babineaux recorded over 100 tackles but consistently dropped the ball in coverage so he’s a huge question mark heading into next season. Grant isn’t getting any younger at the age of 30 and entering into his 12th NFL season. The Seahawks need to get more athletic and younger at safety and Pete Carroll can do that via free agency.

Antrel Rolle, 27 (6 year pro,S), Dunta Robinson 27 (7 year pro, CB) and Sean Jones, 27 (7 year pro, S) would most likely be the three targets for Pete Carroll in free agency. Rolle would be a win-win for the Seahawks because he’d fill a void in the secondary as well as taking him away from division rival, the Arizona Cardinals.

Carroll and Schneider would be smart to spend the $8-10 million on Rolle.

- (d0) keep an eye on the amount of money put into free agency even though this is an uncapped year and Paul Allen is the owner, who showed this off season he will spend the high end prices to bring a Super Bowl trophy to the city of Seattle.

Carroll and Schneider said they will not break the bank in free agency however Paul Allen said the exact same thing last year and they wound up signing TJ Houshmandzadeh to a five year, $40 million dollar contract. So coaches and general managers will always say things like this because they have no clue what the market will look like.

So the Seahawks can afford to spend $8-10 million on Antrel Rolle, $8-10 million on Dunta Robinson and then sign a mid level free agent on the offensive line but not much more than that with the Seahawks holding the No. 6 and No. 14 overall picks in the draft.

Don’ts:

-(don’t) sign any free agent running back in free agency. There have been rumors galore about the Seahawks being interested in free agent running backs Thomas Jones, Darren Sproles, Chester Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson among others.

It won’t happen and Carrol and Co. would be a fool to spend the rumored $4-6 million on any free agent running back this off season. If the Seahawks feel they need an every down back they will address it through the NFL draft because it’s a “core position”.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider both believe in building the core of the Seahawks franchise through the NFL draft. The core positions being quarterback, running back, left tackle, left guard and defensive tackle/end. So don’t look for the Seahawks to be strongly searching for a free agent running back to sign this off season.

- (don’t) sign any player over 30. The Seahawks are a rebuilding franchise and have a lot of aging veterans already on the roster with Matt Hasselbeck (34), Patrick Kerney (33), Walter Jones (36), Deion Branch (30), TJ Houshmandzadeh (32) and Deon Grant (30) all playing at core positions.

The Seahawks need to get younger across the board and especially at the core positions. So what does that mean? The Seahawks have to avoid signing players over the age of 30 in free agency because it won’t fit the new regime and schemes that Carroll and Co. have put in place.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider have put in place and exceptional plan of how they want to reshape and retool the Seattle Seahawks organization and if Carroll and Co. can keep to their core values as well as the “do’s” and “don’ts” listed above there is no reason why the Seahawks can’t still be winners in free agency while at the same time pick up key pieces to add to the roster before the 2010 NFL draft.

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Seahawks notes: Owens, Jones, Combine, Running backs

As the free agency deadline nears the major movement in the NFL has come from the running back position this past week with five running backs being let go or non tendered to free agency.

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook, Cleveland's Jamal Lewis, San Diego's Darren Sproles and New Orleans' Mike Bell. Also New York Jets running back Thomas Jones will be released next week so he will be added to the list when that becomes official.

Terrell Owens was informed by the Buffalo Bills Saturday that the 36 year old wide receiver would not be back with the organization in 2010 making him a free agent.

The New Orleans Saints have yet to tender a contract offer to Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans and running back Mike Bell. Most likely scenario is the Saints are more willing to sign a long term contract with Evans but let Mike Bell walk with the reports of Reggie Bush being 100 percent guaranteed to be back with the Saints in 2010 along with his eight million dollar price tag.

So with the CBA negotiations not going anywhere anytime soon it's clear that many of the expected unrestricted free agents will be restricted free agents.

However free agency isn't the only topic around the NFL.

Saturday marked the beginning of the NFL combine in Indy where all 32 teams will have their eyes on the top tier players in the upcoming NFL draft as well as the sleepers that will become steals in the draft.

So with that being said here's some news, notes and rumors regarding the Seattle Seahawks.

-WR Terrell Owens: The rumors and reports will start flying on March 5th about Terrell Owens and the Seahawks being a good pair with Nate Burleson testing the free agent market after not receiving a contract offer from the Seahawks.

Now there are a few questions if you want to picture T.O in Seattle.

One, would the Seahawks want to sign an aging wide receiver like T.O at the age of 36? Two, how much would the Seahawks be willing to offer Owens to come to Seattle because he's only going to get around one to two million max in free agency at this point in his career.

Now Owens can still put up numbers at his current age. Last season in Buffalo, a quarterback dead zone he compiled 55 receptions for 829 yards and five touchdowns. With Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback there is no reason to think T.O's numbers would go down if Owens came to Seattle.

Currently the Seahawks have TJ Houshmandzadeh (32), Deion Branch (30), Deon Butler (24) as the starting three wide receivers for 2010. Houshmanzadeh is guaranteed to be back in Seattle next season as is Deon Butler but there have been many questions surrounding Deion Branch in his three years in Seattle.

Terrell Owens, at the price of $1-2 million would be a great addition in Seattle to go along side TJ Houshmandzadeh and Deon Butler who would be the slot wide receiver like Bobby Engram use to be two years ago.

-LT Walter Jones: Pete Carroll said at the NFL combine that Walter Jones has not come to a final decision on whether to retire or come back for his 14th NFL season.

Here is a quote from Pete Carroll via Danny O'Neil from the Seattle Times.

"I would be wrong to tell you that I know right now, specifically," Carroll said. "I know he's thinking about pursuing the retirement thing and all that. And until that's really final, that's about where it is."

- NFL Combine: The offensive tackles and tight ends worked out Saturday at the NFL combine and five players really stood out and improved their draft stock by their performance at the combine.

Maryland OT Bruce Campbell, Oklahoma OT Trent Williams, Pittsburgh TE Dorin Dickerson, Oregon TE Ed Dickson and Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung (left early with a groin injury).

Clausen and Bradford are both at the combine but will not workout at the combine. They will meet with coaches and scouts from a lot of teams but nothing hands on.

You can probably bet that Jimmy Clausen will be looking for Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll after the comments he made today during an interview.

Clausen said "as a person I love coach Carroll to death" and also that he'd love being a part of Carroll's team in Seattle if drafted by the Seahawks.

Carroll and Clausen go way back to when Clausen was 13 years old and Carroll was recruiting him to come play at USC. So Jimmy Clausen is a name to watch for the Seahawks when they select No. 6 overall.

-Running backs: There have been a lot of rumors swirling about the Seahawks and adding a running back in free agency. Mainly Tomlinson, Thomas Jones, Darren Sproles, Westbrook and Chester Taylor among others.

For all those wondering if the Seahawks will sign a big name back this off season the answer is simply this.

No.

The Seahawks under new head coach Pete Carroll and new general manager John Schneider plan to build the foundation of the Seahawks through the NFL draft to insure long term success.

Quarterback, running back, left guard and tackle, defensive tackle and safety all make up the core foundation of an NFL team so take all those positions and cross them off the Seahawks free agent list. Only safety would be one to fill via free agency with Darren Sharper.

The Seahawks will be looking for an every down back in the draft with Clemson running back CJ Spiller topping that list.

A couple of other added notes:

-Seahawks franchised kicker Olindo Mare

-Nate Burleson will be an unrestricted free agent