Donovan McNabb traded to Washington

Disclaimer: Usually journalist and especially good journalist don’t usually use “I” in articles and recently I’ve been trying to improve on that and just stick with reporting. However I’ve decided to try a little experiment and create a new series of articles titled “In my opinion” which will include players, coaches and other aspects of the NFL an give my opinion on those topics. So articles titled “In my opinion” will be the only time I use “I” in an article, but when it comes to reporting on the Seahawks and the draft, “I” won’t be included. Just needed to clear that with this disclaimer. Even though my typical “in my opinion” slogan isn’t in the title this is still apart of my series.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reported that the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to trade quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins in exchange for their second-round pick (No. 37 overall) and either a third or fourth-round selection in the 2011 draft depending on McNabb’s performance.

Right off the top the first three things that come into my mind are one, was there really nothing better in terms of compinsation for Donovan that the Eagles could have gotten? Two, why trade Donovan inside the division? Third, who was the final person in the Eagles front office that pushed this trade through.

I had a feeling that Donovan wouldn’t be apart of the Eagles franchise past the draft and it was only a matter of weeks that he would have been traded. The fact that McNabb was traded was the least surprising part of this entire fiasco.

The most surprising part was the fact that McNabb, the Eagles best quarterback in franchise history was traded within the division, and above all the Washington Redskins.

Throughout the off-season the biggest move the Redskins had made was to bring in former Broncos’ head coach Mike Shanahan as the teams new head coach and executive vice president. Other than Shanahan being tabbed as the head coach both Washington and Dallas, the two teams expected to be big spenders in this uncapped year have seemingly been dead in terms of player movement.

Today the Redskins came out of the shell in grand fashion by trading for the 33-year-old quarterback McNabb.

Not only does this trade effect the Redskins and Eagles but it also shakes up the upcoming 2010 NFL draft and more importantly the top 10 picks.

Over the last few weeks the Redskins had growing interest in the top two quarterbacks in this years class, Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame.

Most recently the Redskins brought in Clausen for a two-day workout and visit with Redskins brass but now with the acquisition of McNabb the move allows them to turn away from Clausen and move to their second biggest need of the off-season, left tackle.

Russell Okung, Trent Williams and Bryan Bulaga are all now stand atop the Redskins draft board and all could have their names called by Roger Goodell come April 22nd when the Redskins pick at fourth overall.

For the Eagles it turns the page on the storybook career of Donovan McNabb to second-year quarterback Kevin Kolb, who the Eagles selected in the second-round of the 2008 NFL draft.

With the Eagles arming themselves with another second-round draft pick it allows them to look around and pick and chose if they want to move up in the draft OR make a move for Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha should they decided they want to.

Either way you look at it the Eagles now have one first-round pick (No. 24 overall), two second-round picks (No. 37, 55 overall), two third-round picks (No. 70, 87 overall) two fourth-round picks (No. 105, 121 overall), and four picks from rounds five through seven.

Fair to say the Eagles could be looking to rebuild around Kolb or move to acquire help around Kolb. I don’t see anything bad coming from this trade for both the Eagles and Redskins.

In the end in my opinion the Eagles will come out the winners of this blockbuster trade for three reasons.

One, Kevin Kolb while mostly untested gets to become the full-time starting quarterback in Philadelphia with a world of talented players around him. Receivers DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek coulped with running backs LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver.

Looking at the moves the Eagles have made this off-season it’s clear that head coach Andy Reid wants to get a lot younger on offense and move on from the “McNabb/Westbrook era”.

Two, it allows the Eagles to continue to revamp the team roster from last season with the addition of another second-round pick that could net safety Taylor Mays, Eric Berry (it’s possible if they want to move way up to get him) as well as a few other possibilities.

Three, they finally turn the page on Donovan McNabb to Kevin Kolb. Plain and simple the Eagles could not move forward with McNabb as the teams starting quarterback and that became very clear after Reid announced at the NFL meetings a few weeks ago that the Eagles “were willing to listen to offers for McNabb, Kolb and Vick”.

Now for the Washington Redskins they can’t really go wrong with McNabb as their starting quarterback because no doubt he’s the better quarterback over Jason Campbell and can make them a more competitive team next year than both Campbell and Clausen/Bradford.

The only question coming from Redskins fans will be who was really behind this. It has the looks of a typical Dan Snyder move, bring in the biggest name you can to drive up premium ticket prices.

If you go back to last off-season the Skins’ were linked to anyone not named Jason Campbell that could throw.

Jay Cuter (now in Chicago), Mark Sanchez (now in New York), Brett Favre (now in Minnesota) as well as numerous other “franchise” quarterbacks who could replace Jason Campbell.

So as I stated before, in my opinion the Eagles will come out the winners of this shocking blockbuster trade that will see long-time Eagles starting quarterback Donovan McNabb head to Washington D.C for two draft picks.

NOTE:

One other side note that I would like to point out and as I touched on above is how this trade effects the upcoming draft.

All indications show that Sam Bradford will be heading through the arch in St. Louis and become the first overall pick of the 2010 draft.

However the second best quarterback in the draft, Jimmy Clausen, had been highly touted to Washington but with the acquisition of Donvoan McNabb the Redskins no longer become a team interested in Clausen’s services allowing him to slide down the draft board a bit.

The Seattle Seahawks become the next team inline for Clausen’s services now that Washington has passed on him for the veteran McNabb.

As I spoke about in my last article “Why Jimmy Clausen is still an option for the Seahawks” the possiblity becomes even greater with the Skins’ bowing out.

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Seahawks Finalize Whitehurst Deal; Agree To Contract Extension

Early in the day Wednesday the Arizona Cardinals came to an agreement with free agent quarterback Derek Anderson on a two-year $7.25 million dollar contract which ended the Cardinals pursuit of restricted free agent quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

Charlie Whitehurst’s decision came down to the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks and Whitehurst informed the Chargers front office that he wanted to be traded to Seattle.

Today the Seahawks and Chargers came to trade agreement for restricted free agent quarterback Charlie Whitehurst. The Seahawks will send their second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft to the Chargers in exchange for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and their second-round pick (No. 60 overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft.

After the trade was finalized the Seahawks and Whitehurst came to an agreement on a two-year, $10 million dollar contract making him the teams second-string quarterback and the future starting quarterback.

Seattle paid a steep price for an unproven quarterback, who while still young has not played in an NFL regular season game in his five year career.

The Seahawks gave up twenty spots in the 2010 draft as well as a third-round pick in 2011 for Whitehurst, who Pete Carroll believes has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback for the Seahawks and it’s impossible to judge if Whitehurst can be that franchise quarterback.

By acquiring Whitehurst as well as giving the quarterback a sizable contract extension it signals that the Seahawks won’t be selecting a top quarterback in the upcoming April NFL Draft, which includes heavily rumored Jimmy Clausen.

It will have to be a wait-and-see approach by Seattle Seahawks fans before they know exactly what Whitehurst can bring to the field for the Seattle Seahawks.

Whitehurst’s bio is not that thick by any means but it is still solid.

Whitehurst was an original third-round pick (No. 81 overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Clemson. Whitehurst has not recorded any NFL stats in the regular season and has no accolades from either college or pro.

He has pro size at 6-4 and 227 lbs which a good NFL size. Other than that there is nothing on Whitehurst.

Notes:

- The Seahawks have signed linebacker Matt McCoy to a one-year contract for just above the league minimum. McCoy was with Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley when he was in Tampa.

- The Seahawks have acquired defensive end Chris Clemons and a fourth-round pick in 2010 from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for defensive end Darryl Tapp.

- The Seahawks have told guard Rob Sims to “stay away” from the teams Renton facilities because of a pending trade which should be completed in the next 48-hours.

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Steelers QB Roethlisberger could interest Seattle Seahawks

With Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback recently being in the news for harassment as well as other possible charges involving an incident in Atlanta, the Rooney family is not so high on Big Ben with this second off the field incident in his career and could be willing to part with the star quarterback if the Rooney’s don’t feel Ben is a part of the family.

The Steelers have said they would be content with current backup Dennis Dixon as the team’s starting quarterback or could acquire one via the NFL draft, but Dixon would be the more immediate choice.

Now who would be interested in the 28-year old quarterback?

The Seattle Seahawks led by new head coach Pete Carroll would be the first team that would be a great fit for Roethlisberger, while being rumor to be searching around the league for a new franchise quarterback with the aging Matt Hasselbeck not sitting well with Carroll.

So far Kevin Kolb, Jimmy Clausen, Derek Anderson, Charlie Whitehurst and possibly Donovan McNabb are on Pete Carroll’s “possible quarterback list”. Could Ben Roethlisberger’s name be added to that list?

Yes.

If you look at the situation that is currently in front of Pete Carroll when it comes to his franchise quarterback there is no one better on that list then Ben Roethlisberger.

Now you also have to look at it from the Pittsburgh Steelers point of view with their franchise taking a step back this past season.

The Steelers currently hold the No. 18 overall pick in the upcoming 2010 NFL draft which is too far for Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford to fall. Then you have to look at the next few quarterbacks in the draft with Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Jevan Sneed and others behind the top two.

With Seattle holding the No. 6, No. 14 and No. 40 overall picks in the draft as well as a few players the Steelers would be interested in to fill some holes on defense it would seem that both teams could come to an agreement on a trade.

The Seahawks currently have linebackers David Hawthorne and Leroy Hill who can both fill the Steelers need at linebacker, more likely Hill because he’s an inside linebacker with talent and experience where Hawthorne is still a backup.

What would be the most logical trade proposal involving the Seahawks-Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger would be like this.

The Seahawks would send the No. 14 pick, No. 101 pick, second-round pick in 2011 and Leroy Hill to the Steelers for Ben Roethlisberger and a third-round pick in the 2010 draft.

Now looking at the proposal, what does it do for both teams involved?

It gives the Steelers a top 15 pick in the 2010 draft where they could fill their offensive line issues at either guard with Idaho’s Mike Iutpi or an offensive tackle like Anthony Davis from Rutgers, Trent Williams from Oklahoma or Bruce Campbell from Maryland whichever is still available.

Then it gives them a starting inside linebacker in their 3-4 defense who can come in right away and make an immediate impact, and is also signed long-term through 2013. Also with the added 2011 pick it gives them options to make a later trade for another first-round pick in 2011 should they decide they want another first-round pick.

What it gives the Seahawks is a proven, talented, young starting quarterback that has already won two Super Bowls (one against Seattle) and can make everyone else around him look better.

Now the Seahawks would be giving up a lot in order to Roethlisberger but it gives the Seahawks what they’ve been searching for, a true franchise quarterback who’s already signed long-term and one that you don’t have to groom behind Hasselbeck or try to build through the draft in the later rounds.

Also when you look at the Seahawks giving up the No. 14 pick in the draft for Roethlisberger you have to look at the possibilities of who they could be drafting compared to what Roethlisberger would bring.

Defensive end Derrick Morgan, offensive tackle Anthony Davis, running back C.J Spiller would not bring the immediate impact that the Seahawks need like Roethlisberger would.

Now if the Seahawks were to make this trade it still leaves them with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft as well as a third-round pick where they could pickup an offensive tackle to fit in Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme.

If the Seahawks wanted to really make their offense a complete Super Bowl caliber offense they could seal the deal on Broncos’ restricted free agent Brandon Marshall and sign him to an offer sheet giving Roethlisberger and the Seahawks a true No. 1 wide receiver.

It’s not really asking a lot it just has a lot of moving parts. It’s an interesting scenario, one that could become a reality should the Steelers and the Rooney family decides they don’t want their team picture tarnished by Roethlisberger’s off-field problems.

NOTES:

Talking with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the rumors about the New York Jets trading for Brandon Marshall “have no legs” so consider that Marshall rumor along with the Bengals rumor of bogus, the Seattle Seahawks still remain the only real team involved with Brandon Marshall.

-The Seahawks signed former Patriots tight-end Chris Baker to a two-year contract, making him the No. 2 tight-end behind John Carlson.

- The Seahawks are still negotiating with restricted free agent quarterback Charlie Whitehurst but not deal is official as of yet.

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

In my opinion: Matt Hasselbeck

Disclaimer: Usually journalist and especially good journalist don’t usually use “I” in articles and recently I’ve been trying to improve on that and just stick with reporting. However I’ve decided to try a little experiment and create a new series of articles titled “In my opinion” which will include players, coaches and other aspects of the NFL an give my opinion on those topics. So articles titled “In my opinion” will be the only time I use “I” in an article, but when it comes to reporting on the Seahawks and the draft, “I” won’t be included. Just needed to clear that with this disclaimer.

Matthew Hasselbeck has come a long way since growing up in Boulder Colorado. Hasselbeck, now 34-years old went from receiving honorable mention All-American in high school to being selected in the sixth round in the 1999 draft by the Green Bay Packers all the way to being a starting quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks for eight years and counting.

Hasselbeck became a part of the NFL in 1999 when Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid (Packers QB coach at the time) selected the Boston College quarterback in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft. At the time Reid was pressing harder for Hasselbeck then Holmgren was but neither coach really saw Hasselbeck as a franchise quarterback.

For the first two years (99-01) Hasselbeck was holding field goal kicks and a clip board as he sat behind future hall-of-famer Brett Favre.

In 1999, a year after the Packers selected Matt Hasselbeck; his head coach Mike Holmgren left the Green Bay Packers organization for a lucrative offer from Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen to become the team’s head coach and general manager.

Holmgren did not forget about Hasselbeck and two years later, on March 2nd 2001 Mike Holmgren traded the Seahawks 10th overall pick and two third round draft picks in exchange for the young Hasselbeck as well as the Packers 17th overall pick and a seventh round pick in the 2001 NFL draft.

What came of that trade?

The Seahawks landed their franchise quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck as well as a future cornerstone of their offensive line, Steve Hutchinson with the 17th overall pick.

The Packers selected Florida State defensive end Jamal Reynolds who totaled 18 tackles and three sacks from 2001-2004 before his NFL career was over. Reynolds was plagued by injuries that ultimately ended his NFL career when he failed his physical with the Indianapolis Colts which voided a potential trade. He was released and signed by the Cleveland Browns but failed to make the teams regular season roster in 2004 and has not played in the NFL since.

In his first two seasons with the Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck battled with veteran quarterback Trent Dilfer for the starting quarterback job. However with an excellent finish to the 2002 season Hasselbeck became the teams’ full-time starter in 2003.

Hasselbeck did not disappoint in his first full season as a starting quarterback in the NFL. He compiled 3,841 yards passing and 26 touchdowns while only throwing fifteen interceptions. Hasselbeck also led the Seahawks to a 10-6 regular season record and a wildcard berth for the first time since 1998.

He continued his success in 2004 by leading the Seahawks to their first division title since the team joined the NFC in the alignment in 2002. Hasselbeck missed two games during the regular season and his touchdown total dropped from 26 to 22.

However Hasselbeck’s mouth got caught in the divisional round of the 04 playoffs against the Green Bay Packers. Hasselbeck went out in overtime to call the coin toss and once the referee announced Seattle had won the toss the question came “do you want the ball?”

Hasselbeck’s famous response was “We want the ball, and we’re gonna score!” Shortly thereafter Hasselbeck threw a pick-six to Packers corner back Al Harris which sealed the Seahawks playoff fiat.

In 2005 Matt Hasselbeck made up for his prediction in the 2004 playoffs by leading the Seahawks to a 13-3 regular season record, the most wins in franchise history as well as the franchises’ first trip to the Super Bowl. Hasselbeck received his first all-pro award in 2005 and led what was arguably the best single season Seahawks team in franchise history.

2006 Hasselbeck took a step back after starting the season 4-1 he went down in week seven with a sprained right MCL, caused by Minnesota linebacker E.J Henderson. He came back to lead the Seahawks to a 9-7 record and made it back to the playoffs after losing the Super Bowl the previous year.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo stole the show in the closing seconds in what fans will remember the most about the wildcard game between the Seahawks and Cowboys. Romo botched a 19-yard field goal snap with 1:19 left in the game.

The Seahawks lost in overtime to the Chicago Bears in the divisional round of the playoffs after Robbie Gold kicked the game winning field goal.

2007 became Matt Hasselbeck’s “comeback” year when the Seahawks, led by Mike Holmgren’s decision to become a pass first and pass only offense with the absence of a starting running back. Hasselbeck had his best statistical season in 2007 when he put up 28 touchdowns while only throwing twelve interceptions. He also posted a career best 91.4 quarterback rating.

However since his great season in 2007, Matt Hasselbeck’s career has continued to degrade with each snap that he takes, which hasn’t been that often.

In 2008 Hasselbeck played only seven games due to several injuries that would devastate any quarterback. He suffered a severe back injury that effected nerves in his lower back, which causes him to lose power in his legs and ultimately led to a knee injury.

Hasselbeck suffered a bulging disk in the pre-season, a knee injury against the Giants on October 5th and a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Arizona Cardinals.

The loss of Hasselbeck, along with several other key players on the Seahawks led to the Seahawks finishing with a 4-12 record and the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft.

2009 started out questionable under new head coach Jim Mora Jr. Hasselbeck threw two interceptions in the first quarter against the St. Louis Rams in week one before bouncing back to finish with three touchdowns and 276 yards passing and a 28-0 win over the St. Louis Rams at home.

However in week two he suffered two broken ribs when he attempted to dive into the end zone with under two minutes left in the half. Patrick Willis went helmet first into the back of Hasselbeck and he went downhill from there. He missed the next three games before coming back in week five against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hasselbeck threw four touchdowns in a 42-0 win which seemed to be a good sign for Hasselbeck and the Seahawks coming off three straight loses.

However in week six at home against the Arizona Cardinals the Seahawks had the franchises worst game flat out. Hasselbeck finished the game completing only ten passes and a completion percentage of only 34.

Hasselbeck would go on to finish the 2009 season with seventeen touchdowns and seventeen interceptions while crossing the 3000 yard mark for the sixth time in his NFL career.

So going through Matt Hasselbeck’s career what you find is one of toughest, grinding and competitive quarterbacks in NFL history. Hasselbeck has been the face of the Seattle Seahawks franchise for nine seasons out of the ten that he’s been with the organization.

He’s gone to three Pro Bowls in his 12 years in the NFL (03,05,07) and also led the Seahawks to five straight playoff appearances from 2003-2008. He led the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history in 2005 and emerged as one of the league’s top quarterbacks from 2004-2007 before injuries took away his playing time.

Hasselbeck is arguably the best quarterback in Seahawks history alongside Dave Krieg who finished his Seahawks career with a record of 70-49 while Hasselbeck sits at 58-45.

So In my opinion Matt Hasselbeck is the best quarterback in Seattle Seahawks history for many reasons and even though he does not have hall-of-fame numbers Matt Hasselbeck’s career is not over just yet. If Hasselbeck has three great seasons left in the tank and if he can still get the Seahawks to win their first Lombardi trophy then Hasselbeck could be mentioned in the hall-of-fame but not until then.

However in my opinion if Hasselbeck had not suffered the amount of injuries he has gone through in his career I think his success rate might be just a little bit higher over the past two seasons. Now it’s up to the new era of Seahawks football, John Schneider and Pete Carroll to revive Matt Hasselbeck’s career.

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Seahawks trade Seneca Wallace to Browns

According to ESPN’s John Clayton and Adam Schefter the Seattle Seahawks have completed a trade that will send Seahawks backup quarterback to the Cleveland Browns for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick.With the acquisition of Wallace, he gets the opportunity to reunite with former head coach Mike Holmgren in Cleveland and possibly get the chance to be a full time starting quarterback in the NFL.

Wallace now joins Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn as the three quarterbacks in Cleveland. However with Mike Holmgren being the man in charge it’s been rumored recently that Anderson will be cut in the coming weeks and Brady Quinn could either be released or traded as well before the NFL draft.

With Wallace, you don’t get that pocket quarterback who is your prototypical NFL quarterback. Wallace is known for his athletic ability outside the pocket, but can also make the throws necessary to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Now with the Seahawks trading away Seneca Wallace it really signals that Pete Carroll is looking for a long term quarterback behind current starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

One possibility could be Florida product Tim Tebow, who is scheduled to have his pro day at Florida on March 17th and then also have a private workout with the Seattle Seahawks shortly thereafter in Seattle.

Another possibility is Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who has known Pete Carroll since he was 13-years old. With the free agency quarterbacks not being the type that Seattle is looking for expect Pete Carroll and John Schneider to look for the aire apparent to Matt Hasselbeck in the upcoming April NFL Draft.

Now the Seahawks have a dilemma about drafting Jimmy Clausen. The Seattle Seahawks have been in serious negotiations with the Denver Broncos for wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who visited with the Seahawks this past weekend.

With the Broncos’ placing a first round tender on Marshall, if the Seahawks decide to hammer out an offer sheet with Marshall the Seahawks would have to pony up the sixth overall pick the draft, which would mean missing out on Clausen.

However the Seahawks can work out a sign-and-trade with the Broncos’ and trade their 14th overall pick to the Broncos’ instead of the sixth overall pick.

So with this trade of Seneca Wallace to the Browns it opens up a lot of possibilities for the Seahawks moving forward at the quarterback position.

It’s clear that Matt Hasselbeck will be the starter in 2010, but it’s not clear who will be the starter in 2011 when Hasselbeck’s contract is up.

Notes:

-An interesting note came to me with the Seahawks trading Seneca Wallace today. His old number of 15 is now up for grabs, the same number as Brandon Marshall.

-The Seahawks have visits scheduled this week for RB Mike Bell, TE Ben Watson, OG Ben Hamilton, TE Chris Baker, DE Tyler Brayton and CB William James.

-Tim Tebow, as I already noted in the article above is scheduled to have a private workout with the Seahawks sometime shortly after his pro day, March 17th.

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Should the Seattle Seahawks draft a QB?

The million dollar question looming in Seattle is centered around Pete Carroll and what he wants to do at the quarterback position.

Carroll and Schneider are in a rough position because they have come in during the middle of a horrendous rebuilding process, which was created by former Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell.

Matt Hasselbeck is entering into the final year of his contract and with the amount of injuries he's had over the past two years his future, with the current offense is questionable. The Seahawks have Seneca Wallace and Mike Teel behind Hasselbeck and neither have the complete package to be a 16+ game starter in the NFL.

What makes the Seahawks quarterback situation even more intresting is the fact that Seattle holds two of the top 15 picks in the upcoming 2010 draft with really only two quarterbacks being worthy of a starting job in the NFL.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. Other quarterback who need a lot of work, along with Clausen and Bradford would be Texas' Colt McCoy, Florida's Tim Tebow, Ole Miss' Jevan Sneed as well as other late round possible.

Needless to say this is one of the weakest draft classes for quarterbacks in a while. So the question becomes, is Pete Carroll willing to make a bold decision and possibly take one of the two top quarterbacks in the draft and should the Seahawks even draft a quarterback this year having passed on Mark Sanchez last year.

The answer is no.

The Seahawks do need an answer long term at quarterback but with one year remaining on his contract and still having many more important needs on this football team, drafting a quarterback is not something the Seahawks can afford to do.

Pete Carroll said at his introductory press conference that Paul Allen along with the rest of the front office want to be a winner now and moving forward. The Seahawks and Carroll need to use free agency as well as the draft to build around Hasselbeck.

Building around Hasselbeck will setup short and long term success for the Seahawks organization, which will be crucial for Pete Carroll's success in Seattle.
The Seahawks need to find an every down running back, possibly CJ Spiller in the draft. An explosive wide receiver, possibly Brandon Marshall. At least two or three offensive linemen (left tackle, left guard and right tackle) which most will come from the draft.

Matt Hasselbeck said recently that if given the help (offensive line and running game) that he can lead the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl and win in the Super Bowl.

Take his word for it, when the Seahawks have a running back gain over 1000 yards they are a 10+ win team as history has shown with Shaun Alexander and Ricky Williams as well as others before them.

So with all that being said the Seattle Seahawks should not entertain drafting a quarterback in this draft class.

NOTE: Jake Locker, the University of Washington quarterback will enter the draft
next year so look for Seattle to try as hard as possible to keep Locker in the state of Washington. Imagine Seattle's fan base moving from the Dawg Pound to Qwest Field.

Seattle Seahawks: Five players to watch at the combine

As teams look toward free agency as the March 5th deadline is fast approaching other teams are looking toward the NFL’s scouting combine where teams get a chance to look at the majority of the top players in the upcoming draft.

Now in this case it’s taking a look at the top five players the Seahawks need to keep both eyes on when Carroll and his staff head to Indianapolis on February 24th when the scouting combine takes place. The combine goes from February 24th to March 2nd 2010.

The two names that officially will not be at the combine are Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford (who is currently projected No. 6 to Seattle in Mel Kiper Jr’s and my mock draft) who is still rehabbing from a season ending shoulder injury.

Also not attending the combine is Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

The five players I have listed are not necessarily first round projections but the topic is five players the Seahawks scout staff, including Pete Carroll and John Schneider need to have both eyes on so some players will be first round projections but some will also be third, fourth and later round projections as well.

Now before I give my list of five players I would like to share my Seahawks educated draft rules/philosophy that people really need to pay attention to when they address what the Seahawks should do in the 2010 draft, especially with the No. 6 and No. 14 overall picks. These rules and philosophy are following the same ones that the current coaching staff follow.

* Alex Gibbs and his zone blocking scheme are built on late round (3rd,4th 5th) picks not first round picks like some people have Russell Okung, Anthony Davis and Bruce Campbell going to the Seahawks with the No. 6 overall pick. It won’t happen so look for Seattle to scout deep with this exceptional class of offensive tackles.

* Matt Hasselbeck, at his current stage in his career doesn’t bod well in new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates scheme which is built around a pocket quarterback with great accuracy and someone who can throw at least 30-40 times a game.

* John Schneider, in his time in Green Bay drafts tall corner backs and none of the corners on the Packers roster were under six feet. So keep that in mind if you want to scout corners for the Seahawks.

* Pete Carroll believes strongly in starting a rookie at quarterback, which signals that Sam Bradford his the likely pick at No. 6 overall for the Seahawks because it gives him a chance right off the bat to start.

So while keeping those rules/philosophy in mind here’s a list of the top five players the Seahawks need to keep their eyes on at the combine.

1) Ciron Black, OT LSU

Examination: Here’s an obvious sign of the new coaching philosophy at work. Coming into the 2009 college campaign Black was considered a first round talent but after a disappointing senior season his stock dropped from a first round pick to a third or fourth round pick.

Now Black has a lot of upside having started 53 consecutive games in his career at LSU. Black’s other upsides would be his great technique, quickness, awareness, very durable and has great size. Black can play at either left or right tackle, most likely left tackle.

Ciron Black has almost no drawbacks other than not having elite agility and getting too high in his stance. Other than that he’s a steal of a pick in the third or fourth round and would become a great, low cost fit in Alex Gibbs offensive line.

2) Sergio Kindle, DE Texas

Examination: Sergio Kindle, another outstanding product of Mack Brown’s system at Texas. Kindle is the 2010 version of Brian Orakpo, another former Texas Longhorn who was selected 13th overall in the 2009 draft by the Washington Redskins.

However Kindle has dropped from his first round projection he still is valued in the early to mid second round where the Seahawks hold the No. 40 overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Kindle is by far one of if not the most gifted defensive player in the draft but just like Ciron Black, Kindle only recorded six sacks in his senior season so he’ll take a short fall to the second round and will be an excellent steal to whichever team selects him, possibly the Seahawks.

Sergio Kindle is a pass rushing defensive end/outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense so Kindle would fit in as a defensive end in the Seahawks 4-3 defense.

So look for the Seahawks to have their eyes on defensive end Sergio Kindle at the combine.

3) Myron Rolle, S FSU

Examination: Rolle is the first college athlete in a long time to chose academics over athletics so his decision to take a year off of football and head to Oxford hurt his draft stock but it’s been rapidly increasing from the Senior Bowl and should he have a good showing at the combine in late February he could be as high as a second round pick.

Myron Rolle was an outstanding safety in his three years at Florida State and the only question teams will have for Rolle is “are you fully committed to football?”

Teams will shy away from Myron if they feel he’s not committed to the NFL and his football future. No team wants to have him retire three years down the road if things are not working out.

4) Mike Johnson, G Alabama

Examination: Here’s another prime example of Alex Gibbs philosophy on the offensive line at work. Mike Johnson, a former late first round projection is now in the same area as OT Ciron Black who is listed number one on this list.

Johnson is a perfect fit in the zone blocking scheme and is a very talented and durable offensive lineman, something that will be key for the Seahawks on draft day. I don’t think they will draft any player that hasn’t been durable, and I do list Sam Bradford as being durable.

The Seahawks need an upgrade at the starting left/right guard and Mike Johnson can play either position.

5) Ryan Mathews, RB Fresno State

Examination: Another example of why the Seahawks hired Pete Carroll, he can recognize the best college talent and how any player fits into his philosophy and schemes. Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews is a perfect fit in a zone blocking scheme.

The Seahawks don’t need a first round flashy running back like people think because Pete Carroll is going to give that to Justin Forsett but don’t be surprise if Ryan Mathews name is called when the Seahawks have their second round pick.

If the Seahawks take a running back in the 2010 draft it’s only going to be Ryan Mathews.

NOTE: In a couple of weeks I will be coming out with an indepth review of how the Seahawks should look at the 2010 draft class, the players they should target and the players who fans and other writers need to forget about. Hint being running back CJ Spiller.

Now as you can tell from my list that I stuck with the Seahawks rules and coaching philosophy when I compile my five players that Carroll and his staff should keep both eyes on at the combine because it’s not about the highest rated player its based on need, value and how well that player fits into the Seahawks coaching schemes.

That is why you don’t see a high offensive tackle like Russell Okung, Anthony Davis, Bryan Bulaga, Trent Williams etc because the Seahawks won’t draft an offensive tackle in the first round.

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

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

2010 NFL Mock Draft: First round (third edition)

In my second installment of my 2010 NFL Mock Draft I received some comments from outspoken Redskins and Lions fans discussing their opinion on my selections of a quarterback and offensive tackle respectively.

Well now that the Senior Bowl has come and gone that has only a very slight effect on the third edition of my mock draft. So with that being said here is the third edition of my 2010 NFL Mock Draft. Click here for my first and second editions of my previous mock drafts (click first for the first edition and second for the second edition and it the future so on and so forth).

1) St Louis Rams: Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska

Examination: This pick, baring some bizarre reason Suh suffers a major injury, is set in stone for me for two reasons. One, because Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo is a true defensive minded head coach and that’s exactly how he plans to build up the Rams with defense first.

Two, the Rams are a team dying for talent and Suh is with out any doubt the best player with the best upside in the entire 2010 draft.

Suh brings immediate impact along with unmatched talent and intensity which makes Ndamukong Suh the best overall pick going No. 1 overall to the St Louis Rams.

Second option: Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

2) Detroit Lions: Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State

Examination: No matter what people say Russell Okung is the right pick for the Detroit Lions at No. 2 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.

A lot of people have the Lions choosing between Okung and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy but when you are a team like the Detroit Lions in a rebuilding mode, with your franchise quarterback and wide receiver already in the fold you need the third piece of the triangle.

That being left tackle, the most important position outside of quarterback because the Lions need to have a long term answer to protect Matt Stafford’s blindside.

Right now the Lions have 32 year old Jeff Backus and 34 year old Jon Janson at left tackle. For a team rebuilding the Lions will need to get younger as well as upgraded talented at the left tackle position and no one fits that bill better than OT Russell Okung from Oklahoma State with the second overall pick.

Second option: Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT Oklahoma

Examination: A lot of people have Tennessee safety Eric Berry going to the Buccaneers third overall and I had him going to Tampa in my last mock draft but after reviewing the Bucs needs and areas where they need improvement I landed on defensive tackle over safety.

Currently the Bucs have Chris Hovan (31) and Ryan Sims (29) currently starting at the defensive tackle positions (4-3 defense).

With the selection of McCoy, it would bring a fresh, aggressive pass rushing defensive tackle into the Bucs defensive line. Something the Buccaneers defense could definitely use as Raheem Morris rebuilds this franchise.

Second option: Eric Berry, S Tennessee

4) Washington Redskins: Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers

Examination: I was debating between Jimmy Clausen and Anthony Davis for this pick and I decided for my third edition to go with Davis, which will most likely change as the draft moves closer.

With Mike Shanahan as the Redskins new head coach and executive VP there is going to be a tough decision in the Redskins war room come draft day. It’s ultimately going to come down to Clausen vs Davis and more importantly QB vs LT and which need is more of a concern to Shanahan and his coaching staff.

The Redskins lost LT Chris Samuel to retirement after suffering a career ending injury. Replacing Samuel was Levi Jones who does not fit long term as a corner stone of the Redskins franchise.

It’s always the key in the NFL to select the franchise left tackle, then the quarterback then either running back or wide receiver depending on need but left tackle and quarterback are 1a and 1b in order of importance.

So with that being said I have the Washington Redskins selecting OT Anthony Davis from Rutgers fourth overall in the 2010 draft.

Second option: Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame

5) Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Berry, S Tennessee

Examination: If the draft falls the way I have it falling in this mock draft it becomes very hard for the Chiefs to make this pick because their biggest need at left tackle is gone with Russell Okung and Anthony Davis already off the board, the only two tackles worth taking in the top 10.

Then you have to move down to wide receiver and it might be too early to take a player like Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State but it is still a possibility.

So flip over to the defensive side where they have selected defensive ends Tyson Jackson (09) and Glenn Dorsey (08) in the first round the last two years so defensive line is not a high priority for the Chiefs. Their linebacking corps is in motion but is still a solid core of players.

So move to the defensive backs where there isn’t much talent outside of Brandon Flowers. So if Russell Okung and Anthony Davis are both off the board then safety Eric Berry is the best pick for the Chiefs fifth overall.

Berry can bring a great added presents into the Chiefs defensive backfield which will help improve their defense which ranked 29th in the NFL allowing 26 PPG.

Second option: Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State

6) Seattle Seahawks: Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

Examination: This couldn’t work out better for Pete Carroll and his new coaching staff as they look to rebuild the Seahawks organization so they can be a winning franchise competing for a Super Bowl year in and year out.

The selection of Sam Bradford is a perfect fit for the Seahawks now and long term for two reasons.

One, the Seahawks have a 34 year old quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck who has had more than his fair share of injuries of his career and they have begun to pile on the last two years. With a new philosophy coming in with Jeremy Bates as the offensive coordinator it is a perfect fit to bring in Sam Bradford into the fold as the Seahawks look to build the core of their team through the draft and they need to put the pieces in place this season not a year or two down the road.

Two, the Seahawks have always had their offense up and running which allows the defense to be a lot more successful that it has been in the past three years. The Seahawks have everything in place on offense but a few missing pieces on the offensive line, some which Alex Gibbs (new OL coach who is a genius with the ZBS and doesn’t need high drafted OT and OL to be successful, he uses third, fourth and fifth round offensive linemen) can help with and some that the Seahawks will have to address later in the draft. Other than LT the Seahawks have a secure group of wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs led by Justin Forsett who will be the number one running back next season.

The only thing missing for the Seahawks on offense is a talented young quarterback who can lead this team back to the Super Bowl.

Sam Bradford is the best quarterback in the draft with impeccable accuracy and a highly underrated arm and great awareness for a quarterback and knows where he is at all times.

So with the sixth pick in the 2010 NFL draft and the first pick in the Pete Carroll era in Seattle I have Sam Bradford going to Seattle.

Second option: Joe Haden, CB Florida

7) Cleveland Browns: Joe Haden, CB Florida

Examination: With “Big Mike” now running the show in Cleveland the decision that has to be made with Holmgren and Mangini is who is going to be the quarterback in Cleveland? Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson or ditch both and go with a QB like Clausen in the draft.

Once the two decide on a quarterback then they can decide where they want to go in the draft. Holmgren has always been an offensive minded coach and GM but has a solid draft record and recommendation when he wasn’t the GM but still was the head coach.

Marcus Trufant, Lofa Tatupu and other late round picks. So if Holmgren and Mangini want to fill a void as well as add some high end talent then the pick of Joe Haden from Florida is the perfect pick. Haden has a lot of similarities to Jets corner Darrell Revis.

Second option: Dez Bryant,WR Oklahoma State

8) Oakland Raiders: Carlos Dunlap, DE Florida

Examination: Like I have stated in my previous two mock drafts when it comes to mocking the Raiders pick you have to turn into a 80 year old grumpy outdated GM and Owner who always gets called out for his picks, most recently of Darius Heyward-Bay and Jamarus Russell.

So in this case I’m sticking with my previous selection of Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Dunlap has great talent at defensive end with a 4.7 40 time which would still appease Davis.

Whether Richard Seymour will see-more enough dough to be convinced to come back to Oakland is yet to be seen but even with him Dunlap is the selection.

Second option: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

9) Buffalo Bills: Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame

Examination: Much like the Seattle Seahawks at No. 6 overall this is the perfect scenario for the Buffalo Bills. Right now the Buffalo Bills have nothing at the quarterback position.

Now yes new GM Buddy Nix said they have some good QB’s but they never have the protection needed, you can not stand there and tell me that you are muy contento with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm at quarterback moving forward.

I don’t think anyone in their right mind would say that.

Now granted they did hire Chad Gailey as the teams new head coach so who knows they might even draft Tim Tebow here.

Now in all seriousness the Buffalo Bills, should the draft fall this way which is has a good chance of doing, need to select Jimmy Clausen with the ninth overall pick.

Second option: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

10) Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Morgan, DE GT

Examination: Te-Bow…Te-Bow…Te-Bow. That’s the sound you’re going to hear from a lot of Jacksonville Jags fans over the next few months leading up to the draft. However I do think Tebow should and will end up in Jacksonville but this is way to early to take him.

The Jags have a few options here depending on how the draft falls. They could just go ahead and take Tim Tebow to bring back the fans and start to make some profit in Jacksonville. Or they could actually decide to go for talent and need and hope that Tebow falls to them in the second round and take a pass rushing defensive end like Derrick Morgan or Jason Pierre Paul.

I feel that the Jags will take the Georgia Tech product over the USF product in this case.

The Jaguars recorded only 14 team sacks in 2009. Morgan recorded 12.5 sacks alone in his final season at GT so that shows if the Jags want to improve the team to a winning franchise they will need to look at a defensive end, in this case I have them taking Derrick Morgan from Georgia Tech with the tenth pick in draft.

Second option: Tim Tebow, QB Florida

11) Denver Broncos: Rolando McClain, LB Alabama

Examination: This pick is all hanging in limbo with what happens to Brandon Marshall and where he will be traded or not. I still will have McClain mocked here for the Broncos even if Marshall is traded, which I see as a high likely hood.

Also the Broncos will have to figure out about Elvis Dumervill and his situation but overall I have this pick being Alabama ILB Rolando McClain to the Denver Broncos 11th overall.

Second option: Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State

12) Miami Dolphins: Earl Thomas, S Texas

Examination: Bill Parcells is large and in charge still in Miami so right off the bat that rules out Dez Bryant with this pick because Big Tuna never takes wide receivers high in drafts. Terry Glenn was the exception because the owner at the time, Bob Kraft demanded it when he was the head coach.

Now that Parcells runs the show in Miami he will be looking at NT, FS, CB and LB as the main holes to fill this off season and mainly in the draft.

Today the Dolphins cut disgruntled linebacker Joey Porter so linebacker becomes a little bit more of a glaring need. However I have Rolando McClain going one spot higher to the Denver Broncos so that option is out (in this mock draft at least).

So looking at those positions of need for the Dolphins and then look at the players still on the board. Nose Tackle would be Dan Williams, free safety would be Earl Thomas, corner back would be Donovan Warren and linebacker would be Sean Weatherspoon.

Out of those four and looking at the needs I have decided to go with Texas safety Earl Thomas to the Miami Dolphins 12th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Second option: Dan Williams, NT Tennessee

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

Examination: For some reason a lot of people have running back C.J Spiller being selected here by the Niners but the last time I looked Frank Gore was still in the 49ers backfield so that would be a waste of a pick.

However they do have a need on the offensive line and at the tackle position. Trent Williams, along with Bruce Campbell are the two best offensive tackles on the board and for the 49ers Trent Williams fits more into their scheme than Campbell.

Second option: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

14) Seattle Seahawks: Jason Pierre Paul, DE South Florida

Examination: In this mock Pete Carroll is batting a thousand in his first ever draft for the Seahawks with Sam Bradford and now Jason Pierre Paul.

The Seahawks had zero pass rush last season and as I pointed out in my Julius Peppers article the Seahawks defensive success starts with the pass rush. Last season the Seahawks recorded 28 sacks, the lowest amount in over five years.

So as Pete Carroll starts his Seahawks era it will be very crucial to get a dominant pass rushing defensive end, or two if the team decides to sign Julius Peppers in free agency.

It has shown in recent years, as I pointed out in my Peppers article that the higher the team sack total the better the defense is as a whole which leads to more wins for the Seahawks.

Second option: Mike Iupati, G Idaho

15) New York Giants: Dan Williams, DT/NT Tennessee

Examination: This will come down to who’s on the board and what happens with Osi Umenyiora. No matter what happens the Giants need to draft a defensive tackle to stop the run because last season the Giants defense gave up over 420 points a franchise high.

So now that defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is out after only his first season on the job it’s now the focal point of the Giants off season to improve their underachieving defense.

Selecting defensive tackle Dan Williams from Tennessee to stick in the middle of the Giants defensive line will go a long way to improving the run defense and the overall Giants defense for a long time.

Second option: Brian Price, DT UCLA

16) Tennessee Titans: Brian Price, DT UCLA

Examination: The Titans need help on defense but Carlos Dunlap, Derrick Morgan and Jason Pierre Paul are all off the board so they can move to defensive tackle and still select a great consolation prize with Brian Price from UCLA.

Price made a great decision to come out a year early and the Tennessee Titans will love this pick if Dunlap, Morgan and Pierre Paul are all of the board.

Second option: Brandon Graham, DE Michigan

17) San Francisco 49ers: Donovan Warren, CB Michigan

Examination: With the 49ers taking an offensive tackle with their first of two first round picks they can now turn their attention to their next need, that being corner back.

This season the 49ers had to resort to signing Dre Bly as well as not having any long term solution opposite of Nate Clements.

So the selection of Donovan Warren gives the 49ers a great cover corner for a long time.

Second option: C.J Spiller, RB Clemson

18) Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Iupati, G Idaho

Examination: The Steelers can go one of two ways with their first round pick. They can address their need on the offensive line or they can look for a long term replacement for NT Casey Hampton who will be 33 soon.

Even if the Steelers decide to franchise Hampton they still won’t have a long term solution at nose tackle but right now there isn’t any elite or close to elite nose tackles on the board so the Steelers have to turn to the offensive line and that’s where Mike Iupati from Idaho fits perfectly.

Iupati is a stand out offensive guard who can play anywhere on the offensive line so that makes this pick all the better for Pittsburgh.

Second option: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland (I have him as a lot of teams second option)

19) Atlanta Falcons: Everson Griffen, DE USC

Examination: The Falcons have only one need this off season and that is to greatly improve the pass rush on defense which only recorded 28 sacks in 2009.

The Falcons could go with a linebacker here but defensive end us the number one need and because I don’t see Peppers dawning red next season Everson Griffen is their next best option with all the other defensive ends off the board.

Second option: Sean Weatherspoon, linebacker Missouri

20) Houston Texans: Taylor Mays, S USC

Examination: The ideal pick for the Texans here would be Earl Thomas from Texas but he’s long gone in this draft so they have to slide down to the next best safety which would be hard hitting Taylor Mays from USC.

The Texans have never had that elite safety presents in franchise history so it’s important they add an aggressive hard hitting safety early in the draft.

21) Cincinnati Bengals: Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State

Examination: Talk about taking a Brady Quinn fall except this time there isn’t any place between the Broncos and Bengals for Dez Bryant to go so the Bengals hit the lotto with this one . The Bengals are in need of receivers and with the passing of Chris Henry and that age of Chad Ochocinco it’s key that the Bengals pickup a sure handed wide receiver that they can add with Chad as well as build on as the future continues.

Tight end is also an option but I’m not sold on Oklahoma’s Jermaine Gresham over Dez Bryant.

Second option: Jermaine Gresham, TE Oklahoma

22) New England Patriots: C.J Spiller, RB Clemson

Examination: It’s amazing that Spiller would fall all the way to the Patriots at 22 but I don’t see any team dieing for a running back ahead of them and the Seahawks don’t need a running back and the 49ers could grab one later in the draft.

This would be great for New England’s offense because Spiller is an explosive running back but can also catch the ball out of the backfield and be great on special teams which will be the seal for Bill Belichick.

Second option: Jared Odrick, DT Penn State

23) Green Bay Packers: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland

Examination: I think a lot of teams will be worried about Campbell’s injury history and that he’s another product of the Maryland system, however he is a great offensive tackle which will keep him in the top 25.

This is a dream come true for Green Bay because they don’t have to trade up to get an elite left tackle for the long term to protect Aaron Rogers, something that is a high importance for the Packers this off season.

Second option: Charles Brown, OT USC

24) Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE Michigan

Examination: The winners of every draft, the Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to turn an almost elite player into a break out player, in this case a break out defensive end with Brandon Graham.

The Eagles will need to upgrade their defensive line opposite of Trent Cole and if they don’t sign Julius Peppers in free agency they will be hot for a defensive end in the draft and Brandon Graham would be an excellent selection for the Eagles.

25) Baltimore Ravens: Jermaine Gresham, TE Oklahoma

Examination: The Ravens are in the same position as the Bengals are, in need of receiving options for Joe Flacco. Derrick Mason is on the fence again in terms of retirement and Todd Heap isn’t getting any younger.

With all the options of receivers on the board Gresham is the best of all them still remaining and a player who can come in right away and make an impact.

Second option: Arrelious Benn, WR Illinois

26) Arizona Cardinals: Charles Brown, OT USC

Examination: Well now that we all know Warner has retired to join the Jay Leno football league and that Matt Leinart will once again be given the chance to be the starting quarterback for the Cardinals in 2010.

However now that they know who the quarterback will be they will need to improve their offensive line which is really shaky with Mike Gandy giving up over nine sacks this season and having Levi Brown being at right tackle.

Brown can come right in as a rookie and start at left tackle which will be important for the Cardinals moving forward.

27) Dallas Cowboys: Maurkice Pouncey, G Florida

Examination: Here’s a player who’s stock will rise or fall depending on how the rest of the draft plays out ahead of him.

The Cowboys need help on the offensive line and Pouncey is the best offensive lineman available while bringing a lot of talent with him, he’s only a small reach.

Second option: Arrelious Benn, WR Illinois

28) San Diego Chargers: Jared Odrick, DE Penn State

Examination: The Chargers have two ways they could go with this pick. They could address their need a running back with LaDanian Tomlinson’s release coming soon but C.J Spiller isn’t on the board and Jahvid Best is really a home run hitting running back not a first and second down back.

So that leaves their need on the defensive line as the best option for this pick. Outside of defensive end Luis Castillo the Chargers don’t have a great defensive end threat on both sides of the line so it’s important for them to go out and select a guy like Odrick who can come in and be that guy.

Second option: Jerry Hughes, DE TCU

29) New York Jets: Arrelious Benn, WR Illinois

Examination: The Jets made the right decision by going with Mark Sanchez last season but now their next goal is to get him a long term wide receiver that he can build and grow with as his Jet career moves along.

The Jets acquired Braylon Edwards from the Browns for a second round pick in the 2010 Draft and now he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent if the Jets don’t resign him.

However while Edwards did help the Jets he still doesn’t have good hands and that worries a lot of people for the Jets but even if the Jets decide to resign Edwards long term they are still going to need a young productive wide receiver opposite of Edwards and Benn fits the bill.

Second option: Jerry Hughes, DE TCU

30) Minnesota Vikings: Kyle Wilson, CB Boise State

Examination: Here’s another player to watch fly up draft boards, Kyle Wilson from Boise State is probably the second best corner in the draft but because not many teams have needs for corners he’ll fall to the mid to late first round and that’s good news for the Minnesota Vikings.

Cedric Griffin is an above average corner in this leage, not the best of the best but still above average. However after his ACL surgery it’s going to take 8-10 months before he can return so not only did they need another corner opposite of Griffin but now they are most likely going to need someone to step in at the one to take his place.

Wilson is that guy who can fill in for Griffin and to a great job until he gets back. Then after Griffin is able to return Wilson just slides over to the two, opposite of Griffin and continue.

It’s a win-win for the Vikings.

31) Indianapolis Colts: Bryan Bulaga, OT Iowa

Examination: The Colts don’t have that many big needs, their biggest need is signing Manning which shouldn’t be too hard. Who knows maybe he’ll take a page from Seattle Mariners ace lefty Cliff Lee “I want a ten year deal for about $200 billion, haha I don’t know”.

However after Manning the Colts do need to improve on their offensive line and especially at left and right tackle which Bulaga can play both.

So I’m sure Bill Polian will do wonders again and Bryan Bulaga will eventually be their left tackle for the long term.

32) New Orleans Saints: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB Missouri

Examination: Well the Saints won a Super Bowl, now before they can think of going back to back they first have to survive their off season which consists of over 23 total free agents.

The Saints have a solid linebacking core right now but they do need another play maker in the front seven and Weatherspoon is that play maker.

NOTE: I received a lot of comments on both of my first and second editions of my mock drafts saying I need to update my mock draft. Well here is how I do it, I don’t have one draft that I edit over and over and over because eventually it gets confusing. So now I post a new mock draft with links to my first two and as time goes on I add the rest and etc. But this is just a note to everyone that I post a new mock draft, not edit the same one over and over.

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

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

Julius Peppers a fit in Seattle

Julius Peppers, a soon to be free agent this off season will be one of if not the most highly touted commodity when free agency officially starts on March 5th.

Today Peppers came out to the media and said he is not willing nor will he sign a long term contract with the Carolina Panthers, which all but makes him an official unrestricted free agent because he has more than six years of NFL experience.

So now starts the bevy of articles flying around about where Julius Peppers should and might sign when March 5th comes around.

The Saints, Eagles, Chiefs, Patriots and about a dozen other teams could be looking at Peppers. One of those teams that many people have been overlooking that could be a great fit for Peppers is the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks have been in a rebuilding process now heading into its second stage, but the first under new head coach Pete Carroll.

Seattle has been built up on their outstanding defense that flat out underperformed the last few years, and basically tanking under Jim Mora Jr.

Now with Carroll, a defensive minded coach, in the fold the Seahawks will look to really target the trenches as a major area for improvement.

That improvement could come in the form of defensive end Julius Peppers in free agency.

Now some people may ask even with the nonexistent salary cap this off season would Seattle pay the $15 -20 million per season for Peppers?

Yes.

Over the last few seasons the Seahawks have totaled 28 sacks (2009), 35 sacks (2008), 45 sacks (2007), 41 sacks (2006) and 50 sacks in 2005 in which they led the NFL in team sack total and also went to their first Super Bowl in team history that same year.

So it shows the Seahawks defense relies on the pass rush to lead their defense and this past season under Jim Mora Jr. the Seahawks had almost no pass rush thus allowing 5,069 total yards (21st in the NFL).

So with Pete Carroll who will be looking to turn this ship around as soon as possible with the right players and the right coaches in place, Julius Peppers will definitely be a target of the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks will have defensive ends Darryl Tapp and Cory Redding being free agents this off season which would allow Peppers to come in and be the full time starter at left defensive end.

Also the Seahawks need to push heavy to sign Peppers because the status of former Pro Bowl defensive end Patrick Kerney is currently in limbo and the Seahawks don’t have a presents on the defensive line so signing Peppers would not only give the Seahawks a replacement for Kerney but also bring a presents they haven’t had in a long time.

So look for the Seahawks to be included in the Julius Peppers sweepstakes when free agency rolls around.

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

Walter Jones’ unofficial retirement

Usually Super Bowl Sunday gets the nations attention either on the field (if you have the $800+ per ticket to fork up) or on that 1080 HD TV in the living room.

Either way you decide to watch the game about everyone in this country turns into watch the Super Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday.

Now most of the time there's not any other news that happens on Super Bowl Sunday other than on the two teams involved in the Super Bowl.

However Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle made an not so surprised announcement Sunday. He announced via Twitter that he was retiring from the game of football. Here's the two quotes from Jones' Twitter page.

"I have came to the concussion it is time for me to retire from football."
11:12 AM Feb 7th

"Sorry conclusion this phone just hep you spell to much but you understand."
12:55 PM Feb 7th

The second quote was because apparently Jones' cant' spell on Twitter but the man has worked his butt off the last 14 years so he doesn't have to spell.

If this is truly the end of Walter Jones' 13-year career then he is retiring that much quicker to be closer to the hall of fame which will be calling Walter Jones' name in 2015.

Walter Jones, a first round pick sixth overall in 1997 NFL Draft and has had one of the best careers in the NFL for an offensive tackle.

If Jones is officially retiring, which has not been confirmed by the Seahawks or Walter Jones' agent, he would be retiring with the following awards and accomplishments while only playing in a Seahawks uniform for all of his 13 year NFL career.

First team all rookie (1997)

9x Pro Bowler (99,01,02,03,04,05,06,07, 08)

6x all NFC (01-05,07)

4x First team all pro (01,04,05,07)

3x Second team all pro (02,06,08)

Listed on 2000's all decade team

Walter Jones is easily a first ballot hall of famer when his turn comes around in 2015, should this be his "official announcement" of retirement.

This past season Jones failed to record a snap because he could not recover from off season knee surgery, which could be the major reason why he would decide to call it a career.

Now the most important part of this fiasco is who will replace Jones as the cornerstone of the franchise at left tackle? Sean Locklear proved that he's not capable of being an NFL left tackle. Brandon Frye, who finished the season on IR after being a quick fill is also not the long term solution.

The Seahawks could look to free agency but with the CBA being in limbo no one knows who exactly will be restricted and unrestricted in terms of free agents. The Seahawks could also look at the draft with Russell Okung, Anthony Davis and others being available at No. 6 and No. 14 respectively.

Currently nothing is official on any Walter Jones retirement so if anyone looks into this from another site having it be breaking news that is incorrect information, nothing is official nor confirmed by any source.

I will keep tracking this for everyone and keep updates flowing if there happens to be any.

Seahawks 2009 offensive MVP: TE John Carlson

With my friend Scotty Kimberly wanting peoples opinion on the 2009 Seattle Seahawks offensive MVP I decided to give my take. I had a short list consisting of TJ Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson, Justin Forsett, Matt Hasselbeck and John Carlson.

In the end it came down to Forsett and Carlson with John Carlson receiving my vote as the 2009 Seattle Seahawks offensive MVP.

Now some people might question right off the bat, why John Carlson? He was irrelevant for the first eight games of the season. Well there is a reason why his stats were down for the first eight games,outside of week one and that was because due to the inconsistency of the offensive line Carlson had to stay home and be an additional blocker instead of a route running tight end like he’s built for.

Now overall when the offensive line situation was resolved with Mike Gibson at right guard and Max Unger at center Carlson was able to get back to his normal form as a pass catching tight end.

In 2009 Carlson played all 16 games while recording 51 receptions for 571 yards and seven touchdowns, a team high in 2009. Carlson average yards per catch was 11.3 with 271 yards after catch. Carlson was only targeted 83 times this season.

When you compare Carlson’s 2009 numbers to those of TJ Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson and even Deion Branch he stands out as being the best overall receiving option for Hasselbeck.

Here’s a breakdown of Carlson’s 2009 stats vs TJ, Nate and Deion

TJ Houshmandzadeh: 79 receptions, 911 yards, three touchdowns, 11.5 average, 237 yards after catch and 135 targets.TJ’s difference for targets and receptions is 56.

Nate Burleson 63 receptions, 812 yards, three touchdowns, 12.9 average, 290 yards after catch and 103 targets.Nate’s difference for targets and receptions is 40.

Deion Branch: 45 receptions, 437 yards, two touchdowns, 9.7 average, 150 yards after catch and 79 targets. Deion’s difference for targets and receptions is 34.

Now compare that to John Carlson’s numbers overall and it’s clear that Carlson is the best. Carlson’s difference between targets and receptions is 32, even lower than Deion Branch.

So with that being said my vote for the 2009 Seattle Seahawks offensive MVP goes to tight end John Carlson.

Sound off.

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

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

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

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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.

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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