|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, July 31st, 2007
Posted by Ryan Divish @ 05:12:53 pm
Yet another majestic day in Kirkland with temps in high 70s and low 80s with a slight cooling breeze. After an extended morning practice in pads, the players wore shorts and shells for the afternoon practice. Despite going more than two hours this morning, there was still a pretty good energy level. After individual work, the Hawks worked on special teams. Free agent kicker Kurt Smith showed decent leg on a few kick-offs, though the wind was at his back. Josh Brown also boomed a few kicks. I think he's underrated in terms of kick offs, he had 12 touchbacks (about middle of the road in the NFL) last season and averaged 64.9 yards per kick-off. Back returning kicks were Josh Wilson, Marquis Weeks, Nate Burleson and Ben Obomanu. We all know how tough Burleson was last year. Wilson was good for Maryland as well, returning 31 kicks for 847 yards (27.4 yard avg) and he even returned one 100 yards for a touchdown. DJ Hackett did not participate in afternoon practice, being still with his wife. It allowed NAte Burleson to have another solid practice, catching several passes including a beautiful 40-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck during 7-on-7. The route was perfect, the separation from the DB and Matt's pass couldn't have been any better. Tight end notes: Leonard Stephens caught a pair of long passes in traffic going down the hash marks. He's got surprising athleticism and sneaky speed. Will Heller had a few catches this morning on some shorter routes. One matter of concern is depth at safety. Babineaux is already out, and now so is Patrick Ghee, the rookie free agent from Wake Forest, hurt his hamstring this morning and didn't practice this afternoon but was out limping around the field. Another guy that's looked solid is Marcus Trufant. I know being an 11th pick that Tru is expected by some to be more than solid, but there's more to be a corner than interceptions. And with that I'm running out of stuff to post from practice. I have to sneak out of Kirkland in 5 p.m. traffic and write in T-Town. Camp was fun and I'm pushing to come back more and do some more for the blog and the paper. And I will keep up the linkage post if you guys want.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 25 comments
Posted by Ryan Divish @ 12:16:53 pm
Welcome to day two of the links. I am going to be simultaneously putting up links and then add to them as I go so you don't have to wait to long. Also if you guys have links that you find that are interesting, send me an e-mail with the link and I will post them and credit you. Make sure they are "safe for work" as well. First of all Dave's excellent column on Brian Russell, who is rapidly becoming my favorite player to watch. He might be the headiest player I've ever seen and is never in bad position -- a far cry from last year. I wrote about Matt Hasselbeck and his rediscovered swagger. I also had a small story on the reaction to the death of Bill Walsh. As always Dave was on KJR with just Elise last night for his "Dinner with Dave" segment. As for around the NFC West ... Obviously, there were plenty of tributes to the passing of Bill Walsh. Here's his obit from the SF Chronicle. Columnist Ray Ratto believes Walsh was an icon. But that wasn't the only news out of San Fransico. Running back Frank Gore, who carved up the Seahawks and the rest of the NFL last year broke his hand in non-contact drills. Over in St. Louis, cornerback Fakhir Brown says he didn't fail a drug test, he missed it, leading to his suspension. Meanwhile, Isaac Bruce, another pain in the Seahawks' neck is trying to stay speedy. Let's head south to Flagstaff, Arizona where the Cardinals are working out. Here's a story on linebacker Karlos Danby and his new lease on life with the Cards. Like the Hawks, the Cardinals donned full gear for a workout. The defensive secondary will go as far as Antrel Rolle and Eric Green will take it. Arizona is still without top pick Levi Brown but negotiations have started up again. Meanwhile Coach Ken Whisenhunt is trying make the pace of practice quicker. Edgerrin James is thinking about Emmitt Smith and his records. Here's a story on Adrian Wilson, who is one bad dude, obsessed with staying at the top of his game. Elsewhere ... Here's a story on Hawks CEO Tod Leiweke. I believe someone mentioned Pete Kendall on the blog, here's an update on him from the NY Times. Will Chris Simms be ready for the Hawks and Qwest field come opening day? The guys over at coldhardfootballfacts.com take a page from Sando and look at refs.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 21 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 12:13:48 pm
The Hawks just got off the field following a fairly intense 2 hour and 20 minute practice. It was the first practice in pads and the team put them to use, going live (up to the tackle) in a number of drills. Coach Holmgren liked the intensity of the team, although he wasn't thrilled with offensive execution at times. It seemed for much of the day, the defense was playing better than the offense. A lot of times that tends to make Holmgren cranky. The defensive star of the day had to be linebacker Julian Peterson, who intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in one session. Also, safeties Deon Grant and Brian Russell spent much of the day breaking up passes. Russell had two nice breakups in a short period ... one coming on a deep ball thrown by Seneca Wallace. "Don't test me, Sen," Russell shouted to him. Backup tight end Will Heller had a couple nice receptions, as did rookie Courtney Taylor, who was probably out of bounds on one diving catch, but it nonetheless showed nice hustle and very good concentration. Rookies Brandon Mebane and Baraka Atkins continued to apply good pressure on pass-rush drills ... especially Mebane. It's a theme we've repeated here, but the guy is making an impression. During the running back vs. linebacker blocking drills, Peterson was umblockable. Once, veteran Mack Strong positively clobbered Niko Koutovides. Receiver D.J. Hackett ran off the field to head toward the hospital because his wife had gone into labor. A few quick observations. It seems to me that back Shaun Alexander is doing a better job of catching the ball. Nate Burleson struggled last year as you know, but looks to be doing much better thus far. The secondary appears to be making more plays on the ball and making interceptions rather than batting it down. The Hawks will probably go back to shorts for the afternoon practice. Often, after long morning practices, the afternoons are lighter with more time spent on teaching and doing walk-throughs.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 14 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 05:34:53 am
We presume the Seahawks will put on the pads for the first time in training camp this morning after having gone four practices in shorts and shells. Don’t assume that means that they’ll necessarily engage in a great deal more contact. In most cases, the NFL of 2007 is no longer a place where there’s a lot of full-contact hitting drills and live scrimmages for hours. The old days of the “Oklahoma” drills and “bull in the ring” are long gone. These guys are too valuable now to risk injury at the hands of a free agent rookie linebacker looking to make a name for himself with a big hit in a July practice. There is an intensity change, though. The pass-blocking session gets far more interesting. The young defensive guys who have looked great in shorts because of their effort tend to be brought back to the pack a little as the veteran offensive linemen now have more surface area to grab. Another good session is when fullbacks and running backs take on blitzing linebackers. As is the case with one-on-one pass blocking for linemen, defenders have a great advantage in these drills because there’s no “trash pile” of others to help get in their way. Former Hawk linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski was just brutal for backs to have to try to block in these drills. RBs coach Stump Mitchell gets pretty animated during these sessions, and sometimes looks like he’s ready to take on a blitzer himself. As far as team sessions go, action may be live up to the point of tackling, or live to first contact. On almost every play, coaches are screaming at players to “stay up.” The biggest threat of injury is when a blocker or defender gets knocked down and somebody gets pushed over the top of them. When somebody hits the ground, he usually gets chewed out. Usually, the team session that most closely resembles game action is when they go to Red Zone offense and defense. The action is obviously compressed into a smaller area and the contact intensifies. That’s when the players get loudest and tend to cheer more for their units. I’ve heard theories from fans that maybe some of the missed tackles the Seahawks had last year were caused by the lack of contact in practices. I don’t buy the theory. There was no noticeable change last year to the practices from when the team was 13-3 the year before. They still made plenty of big hits during the season. Tackling is a matter of discipline and effort, getting to the ball, wrapping up the ball carrier. I think that a player with shoulders sore from contact in practice will be a worse tackler in the game than someone who isn’t as bruised up. Too many guys just hit backs and expect them to fall over without being wrapped up. Frank Gore and Larry Johnson don't just fall over unless you've got their legs. I think players tend to get a little grumpier once the pads come on. It's extra weight to carry around and they do tend to get banged up a little more. Plus, there may be a little testosterone factor at play, too. They're being asked to spend the day pushing each other around, after all.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 13 comments
Monday, July 30th, 2007
Posted by Ryan Divish @ 05:55:44 pm
(On Walsh’s eye for talent...) “I know he was a big inspiration to Jeff Garcia. A lot of people didn’t believe in Jeff Garcia and he brought him in the mix and said he was going to be a good West Coast quarterback. Look at Garcia now, a couple of Pro Bowls and you saw what he did last year. He knows talent and knows how to evaluate talent and get the best out of his players.” Defensive Line Coach Dwaine “Pee Wee” Board Defensive Coordinator John Marshall Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Gil Haskell
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 2 comments
Posted by Ryan Divish @ 05:50:08 pm
Sorry for the delay, just wrapped up a quick sidebar on Bill Walsh for tomorrow's paper. Dave is hard at work on his column so I'll offer up a quick blog before getting to my story and game box. As expected Tubbs, Pork Chop and Mike Green missed the afternoon practice. Green's absence is scheduled. He's only going one practice a day while he's recovering from Lisfranc surgery. Much better practice in terms of intensity and execution out of the offense. Passes were much crisper, no interceptions from the QBs (yes, even Greene, but he didn't get many reps) and solid catches from the receivers -- Hackett in particular. Other happenings •Nate Burleson had a handful of catches during "skele" and team. Nobody will ever accuse Nate of having the hands or grace of Steve Largent, but he's a good athlete that can, and needs to be a viable threat, if thrown to. •I thought Brandon Mebane looked good during one-on-one's versus the offensive line. He's just a squatty load, kind of like a small automobile. Of course, I still defer to Dave on all things in the trenches. •Josh Brown made 4-of-5 field goals through the skinnier, modified goal posts (think Arena League width). His best kick was from 45 yards, which split what appears to be the 10 foot space. •Matt Hassselbeck and Shaun Alexander addressed the media for the first time today. Both were in pretty good spirits and pronounced themselves healthy and ready to go. I'm going to use a separate post for the Bill Walsh comments from Mike Holmgren and other coaches, including Ty Willingham (thanks to Don Ruiz) who was part of the Minority Coaches Program Walsh started.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 15 comments
Posted by Ryan Divish @ 02:14:07 pm
Sorry, I haven't been helping with the blogging from camp. There were some computer issues that dated back to an incident of total computer meltdown after covering a Mariners game. But I do plan to add a few things to Dave's already stellar contributions. First and foremost, I thought some links about how our divisional opponents are progressing at camp. I know ESPN does this with Buster Olney's blog for baseball but anyway here's some news so you don't have to scour the web to much while your faking it at work. We'll start with the 49ers where expectations are pretty high for the Niners. It seems are old friend D-Jack had was stripped from behind in a workout. But the big news will be the passing of Bill Walsh, whose contributions to the NFL should never be underestimated. Over in St. Louis, the Rams are hoping to bust out from mediocrity this season. Mammoth offensive tackle Orlando Pace has slimmed down some. Meanwhile, over in scenic Flagstaff (yes, I've been there before). The Arizona Cardinals have high expectations yet again. Much of it falls directly on the shoulders of quarterback Matt Leinart and a potent offense that's still adding new things. Heck even the fickle Arizona fans are excited. At least one person believes the Cards will be a better coached team. And for those of your already making Super Bowl plans for Glendale, you may want to make reservations for the Playboy Party. I know I want to meet Hef, and his women. As for our old friend Jerramy Stevens, he is supposed to be a player to watch in Tampa.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 15 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 12:05:47 pm
Okay, another one in the books. Trufant came back after a short break (getting poked in eye). So, there was nothing to it. The interesting part while he was of the field was how they lined up with him out. Jennings moved over to the left corner and Josh Wilson came it on the right side. All you Leonard Weaver fans out there take note that he's looking more and more like a real nice fit as a third-down back. Nice hands, good elusiveness in the open field. However, one play was interesting in seeing what COULD be. On one pass play when downfield receivers were covered, Hasselbeck flipped a swing pass to Shaun Alexander. Alexander pulled it in in stride and raced up the sideline. If he could be counted on to do that, it would give him so many more touches out in the open and would surely help to open up defenses for his rushing attempts. From one-on-one pass blocking drills (okay, it's my favorite part of practice): Ray Willis is looking better at guard ... just my opinion. Why? He still looks too rangy to waste at guard when he's a natural tackle, but it looks as if he's developed a technique that might help offset the leverage advantages short and stout DTs would have against him. He's got a terrific punch that allows him to get his hands on guys almost before they're coming out of their stances. Typically, if a guard or tackle can get his hands on a defender, the battle is won. Willis doesn't "catch" rushers, he extends on them. It's a very nice technique. On one play, rookie Brandon Mebane DISCARDED fellow rookie Steve Vallos. Mebane tossed him aside. I still contend this kid is a sleeper stud. Babineaux's health situation was clarified today. It is just a bone bruise, as scans came back negative for fractures. Still, Holmgren says he's expected to miss three or four weeks. Also, Pork Chop Womack suffered a "tweaked" hamstring, which complicates his return from the double-knee arthroscopy he had in June Chris Gray had a false start in team drills that caused Holmgren to offer a bit of criticism. Well, Gray's young, and he'll learn. During his interview, Holmgren was asked about these types of "focus" penalties and he said that last year's team was the most penalized he's ever had. He said that he hates those penalties so much that if he could imagine something really horrible to do to players who commit them, he'd do it. David Greene must be a real gamer. He won more than 40 starts while at Georgia. For the life of me, I can not see any indication in practices that he ever could be a successful quarterback in the NFL. He's consistently inaccurate. The death of coach Bill Walsh led Holmgren to be asked about his relationship with the former 49ers coach. Holmgren gave some poignant recollections about Walsh's impact on his life and career. Walsh was critical in starting the NFL's minority coaching program, Holmgren said, pointing out that UW coach Tyrone Willingham was their first assistant to benefit. At one point, Holmgren very articulately spoke of Walsh as "being an artist while the rest of us were blacksmiths." My usual KJR radio visits are with Elise and Ian at 8:30 Monday nights. In addition, Clare Farnsworth of the P-I and I were on with Mitch Levy this morning. Here's a link to the audio.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 17 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 10:35:05 am
Nothing to be alarmed about, but during one-on-one pass routes/coverage between receivers and corners, Marcus Trufant got tangled up with Nate Burleson and went down. It appears that he got poked in the eye. Trainers looked at him and brought him off the field. No blood, just a lot of blinking as he went past. Interesting moment in that drill, too, when Deion Branch beat second-year corner Kelly Jennings on a route. All the way back up the field, Branch walked close to Jennings, talking to him, gesturing, obviously trying to teach him what it was he had done. These are the ways in which some guys are more valuable than their statistics suggest. Got a chance to watch tight end Marcus Pollard go one-on-one against safeties. This guy runs routes like a receiver. He looks very precise and agile, with good hands. Back to practice ...
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 17 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 06:24:46 am
Same schedule for practices today: 9:15 and 2:45. Here's links to Ryan Divish's camp story and my column from this morning. Off to Kirkland.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 8 comments
Sunday, July 29th, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 07:11:44 pm
The sun came out in the afternoon and the Hawks had a crisp practice. The tempo of practice was good and quick all day. The afternoon session seemed to focus on teaching, with a lot of walking through assignments. Jordan Babineaux, who appeared to injure a knee in the morning practice, did not practice in the afternoon. Holmgren didn't address the media after the afternoon practice so we got no official report on Babineaux's condition, although one source called it a "bruised bone." If so, he could miss some practice time ... but that's conjecture at this point. We'll know better tomorrow. Pork Chop Womack and Mike Green practiced in the morning but not the afternoon, which was according to the plan that would allow them to ease back into action. DT Craig Terrill always looks great in pass-rush drills. He's quick off the ball and has a slippery spin move. Since everybody wants to know about the rookies, Brandon Mebane seemed to have more success this afternoon than this morning. Mebane is touted as a good run stopper, but he's been consistently strong in these pass-rush drills since he arrived. During one rush, DT Marcus Green absolutely clobbered rookie guard Mansfield Wrotto, but on the next snap, Wrotto held his ground and got a stalemate. The Hawks will go another two practices Monday, and most likely will stay in shorts and shells. Generally, they go this way until padding up on the third day, but that is open to the coaches' discretion.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 15 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 02:32:50 pm
Gotta read this feature on Walter Jones in the Huntsville Times. Sounds like "60 Minutes" will have at least some kind of film on him working out pushing the Escalade around. The descriptions of his house are interesting. More information supports the image of him as a very low-key guy.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 14 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 01:49:07 pm
Quotes from Patrick Kerney after practice. "It feels good to be playing football again, there’s some rust to knock off. About missing minicamps: "Now’s the time I can make up for it, make a lot of headway and get back to where I want to be." Recent workouts he said included "yoga for flexibility, and (exercises for) core strength and shoulder stability." Impressions of the Hawks defense? "I gotta keep up with them, these guys play hard. It’s something I always pride myself in. There’s a great standard here which I like, I’m going to try to contribute to that."
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 3 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 12:12:44 pm
A few pages out of my rain-soaked notebook after the first Seahawks training camp practice... CB Kelly Jennings has terrific hands. In early drills, he reached behind with one hand (his left) and blindly speared a pass with somebody directly in front of him blocking his vision. Tom Ashworth and Chris Spencer didn't take part in one-on-one pass blocking. Spencer was at center, though, in team drills. One early scare came in individual pass coverage when Jordan Babineaux went up with Ben Obomanu. Babineaux appeared to injure his right knee. He got up and tried to walk, then took a knee. He was examined and then walked off gingerly. Coach Holmgren said afterward that h thought it was not a major issue but it would be examined further. Patrick Kerney is not only healthy, he's a nightmare to block. Wait until you see how he gets into a four-point stance to rush the passer. He's tilted so that his facemask almost touches the turf. He gets off the ball and hits the edge with wicked quickness. Rookie Baraka Atkins, in pass-rush drills, looked way better than he did in minicamps. He's really quick. He won on his outside rush, but got stopped with an inside move. The thoughts about Deon Grant moving from free to strong safety ... He was accustomed to playing strictly free at Jacksonville. What they like about strong safety Brian Russell is his assignment correctness. He's really sharp about calling coverages and directing traffic ... normally the free safety's job. In Seattle, the safeties are largely interchangable. It appears that Russell will handle the signals. Otherwise, little has changed about their responsibilities. Rookie receiver Jordan Kent was slowed by a foot injury in minicamp, but looks REALLY quick now. He caught one ball in drills and then absolutely jetted past a corner. We've kidded about the name of backup quarterback Derek Devine (Dirk Diggler?), but the kid has a lot of zip on the ball. He threw a long out route in drills that was sizzling as it flew. How are the rookie draft picks doing on defense? Josh Wilson and Will Herring each had interceptions in team drills. The best, however, was a diving pick by undrafted rookie free agent Patrick Ghee. First play of team drills? Hasselbeck flushed, probably would have been sacked. Second play, Mack Strong can't pull in a short pass. Jim Mora talked briefly after practice about the Michael Vick situation. Basically, he said he never saw anything out of Vick but professional behavior. He has recently exchanged text messages with him. No, he wouldn't admit to being relieved to not be in that nightmare ... he said he's just focusing on his job with the Seahawks. The second practice starts at 2:45 p.m.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 24 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 10:05:24 am
Somebody please check the weather report for Cheney for me. The Hawks have just finished stretching and early drills and it's rainy and foul. Coach Mike Holmgren took the field in his customary shorts. "I have no comment on the weather," he said, flashing a look that clearly was not thrilled. Marcus Tubbs appears to be the only Hawk not in action. He's along the sidelines rehabbing. He doesn't limp at all and there's no outward indication that his knee is bothering him.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 5 comments
Saturday, July 28th, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 02:21:09 pm
The weblog will continue to evolve as we change our focus to training camp. I'm back off vacation and spent today shaping a column for the Sunday paper advancing training camp ... capsulizing many of the issues and concerns we've dealt with here for the past month. You can check for that in the paper or our on-line version. Ryan Divish and I will staff the opening of camp tomorrow and supply a column, news story, probably a notebook or sidebar, and most likely some manner of a camp-info box with newsy tidbits. Ryan and I will both continue to feed the weblog until Frank Hughes joins us Aug. 1. To clarify a misconception of some posters, I'm not taking over the Seahawks insider weblog. I aim to occasionally contribute some observations and analysis to supplement the news entries of our beat people. We haven't worked out a definite schedule yet. I do wish to thank you for your kind words and support. I am particularly delighted to see so many the weblog's "voyeurs" actually step out of the shadows and take part in recent discussions. I am also overwhelmed by your knowledge of the topic and your passion for your team ... not to mention the vast geographical breadth of participation. Posts from Denmark and Yokohama and London, etc., support the notion of NFL globalization. Thanks very much for your contributions. What to expect: The Hawks will have a morning and afternoon practice on Sunday. Holmgren usually speaks after the first practice, with Hasselbeck or Alexander addressing groups in the afternoon. There may be group breakouts with other key individuals, perhaps Kerney or Tubbs. Otherwise most players and assistants are generally available after each practice and also after lunch. Usually, they'll go in shorts and helmets the first day or two and then ease into pads and more contact. After they get going, they'll usually schedule an afternoon practice for special teams every other day or two, giving a portion of the team that time for a breather.
Categories: Miscellaneous
• 11 comments
Friday, July 27th, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 04:53:47 pm
The Seahawks just announced that defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, recovering from microfracture surgery of his knee, has been placed on the physically unable to perform list. What it means is he probably hasn’t yet passed the physical to be in action at the start of training camp (Sunday morning). Although the thought during minicamps was that Tubbs would be recovered by the start of camp, this doesn’t automatically signal disaster. Those on the PUP list can’t practice with the team, but they can attend meetings and rehab. They can be brought onto the roster at any time. However, if players are still on the PUP list at the time of the final cutdown date (Sept. 1), they must sit out the first six weeks of the regular season. The first-round draft pick in 2004, Tubbs is considered critical to bolstering the Seahawk rush defense that had so many problems last season. When spotted rehabbing during minicamps, Tubbs looked extremely fit and powerful … better, in fact, than at any time since he arrived in Seattle. The range of possible implications is so broad, and we won’t know where this falls until we see him on Sunday and hear Mike Holmgren’s evaluation. Maybe this is a matter of caution with a key player who has had injury issues. It might mean only a few days missed. On the other end of it, if Tubbs can’t return to playing shape in time for the regular season, the nature of the entire defense changes to some extent. If you can’t stop the run up the middle, the pressure that puts on the other layers of defense is enormous. I'd also argue there's at least a measure of psychological impact, too, if Tubbs misses much time. For a team that dealt with so many injury issues in 2006, there could be a hint of "here we go again" if a key player is sidelined from the start. But, as they say on the television broadcasts when a player is getting carted off the field: "we don't want to speculate prematurely."
Categories: Injuries
• 30 comments
Posted by Dale Phelps @ 02:56:12 pm
The Seahawks announced a couple of roster moves today. The release:
Categories: Miscellaneous
• 10 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 08:32:46 am
The start of camp brings us the need to use this space for news and analysis. But there’s still a little time for the kind of philosophical discussions that you seem to enjoy on occasion. Some of our best participation has been when you’re telling me something rather than the other way around, so I want to toss out one suggested by Greg from Tennessee. He wants to know how everybody out there caught the same bug. How did you become Seahawks fans? You’ve arrived at the same place, but surely through different routes. What happened? Was it a player, a game, a season, an experience? Was it just a matter of geography? This was where you lived so you adopted the team out of convenience? What lit the spark? What caused it to grow? An example: In my job, I don’t get to embrace a team. But I love the sport. My older brothers played football, and I idolized them, so I wanted to play football. At times when I was a kid, my dad got us tickets for Bears games. I remember freezing my scrawny little fanny off at Wrigley and, in the days before the end zone nets, racing in among a mob of muscular mill-workers and hog-butchers to try to retrieve a ball after a field goal or extra point. I’d come out of there missing my hat, coat ripped, bruised … and I never got close to getting a ball. But one moment more than others sucked me into the game: The “Johnny Unitas” championship game, the sudden death win by the Colts over the Giants on Dec. 28, 1958. I was 7, and my dad, two brothers and I watched it on a television that was the size of a refrigerator but had a screen about 8 inches across. The figures were tiny shadows in shades of gray, but the brilliance of Unitas was such that it absolutely reached out of that little screen and grabbed hold of me. It’s never let go. On a corkboard to my left, as I type, I see a brilliant Robert Riger picture from that game, with Unitas about to pass, left arm out in front of him like he’s sighting in his target. Bodies are flying and falling around him, but he’s anchored there in frozen perfection. Just beautiful. Tell us what got to you. Thanks.
Categories: Miscellaneous
• 97 comments
Thursday, July 26th, 2007
Posted by Dale Phelps @ 12:21:33 pm
The Seahawks will begin selling single-game tickets Monday morning. The release from the team:
Categories: Miscellaneous
• 5 comments
Posted by Dale Phelps @ 12:17:43 pm
The Seahawks announced the signings of their last two draft picks today. The team release:
Categories: Draft-pick Signings
• 2 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 12:16:02 pm
Josh Wilson signed today and the Hawks also confirmed the signing of Baraka Atkins, meaning all draft picks are in camp and ready to start work. The full team reports Saturday with the first practice Sunday at 8:45 a.m.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 3 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 07:53:18 am
The Seattle Seahawks welcome their rookies to training camp today, along with the team’s quarterbacks. They are involved in physicals and meetings, and we’ll have no access to players until Sunday morning’s first practice. I wanted to file this early today so I’m not yet sure if the contract for second-round pick Josh Wilson has come together. About this rookie “class:” I’ve visited with all the draft picks at one point or another at minicamps or after they were selected. As a whole, it’s once again an impressively bright group. Everybody’s got degrees, some more than one (Baraka Atkins has two), and Wilson was the top scholar-athlete last fall in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The transfer qualities there are obvious. The hardest thing for rookies is learning the scheme, the system, the language. The logical presumption is that when you sign bright guys, they catch on quicker and can be more productive early in their careers. A classic example of the value of this Tim Ruskell approach is Lofa Tatupu, a second-rounder two years ago, who showed up from the start of minicamps and was immediately able to get the defensive unit lined up in the right spots. The staff was practically stunned with his mastery of the defense. For anybody coming into the league, the quicker he can grasp the system, the sooner he can start cutting loose and rely on his instincts rather than having to think about his responsibilities. As for climbing the depth chart, the top three defensive picks have the easiest chance to get on the field. Wilson already looks like the third cornerback with opportunities for a lot of action in the nickel. Although there are a lot of bodies at defensive tackle, they’re still going to need to improve run defense, so Brandon Mebane could work his way into the rotation. And quality depth at defensive end seems lean at this point, giving Atkins a chance to get on the field. What will these rookies see? For one thing, they’ll be treated with a degree of respect. Under Holmgren’s regime, there’s no inordinate hazing of rookies. These guys might have to carry some vets’ shoulder pads off the field or maybe pick up some dinner tabs if they make the team, but that’s about it. Historically, there’s been the requirement that rookies sing at dinner, etc., and for a short time there was some actual physical harassment involved. I think I recall Sam Adams getting taped to a blocking dummy and having to endure brief humiliation. As stupid as this stuff was, I remember only one guy getting really torqued over it … Joey Galloway. I think he got taped up to a dummy or a goal post or something, and he came off the field really hacked off. I’m not sure but I think that stuff might have ended when Walter Jones got drafted and nobody wanted to mess with Walter. The Holmgren approach is far more civilized. I think the question that’s often asked in the mind of Holmgren and his staff is this: Does this help us win games? Messing with rookies serves no purpose. Generally, players come in and become attached to others in their position group with whom they work most closely. But one group of newcomers managed to stay close throughout their careers. It was probably the influence of first-rounder Cortez Kennedy, but the 1990 group turned into “The Rookie Club” comprised of the top four players taken (Kennedy, Terry Wooden, Robert Blackmon and Chris Warren). The top three got starts in the first season, and Warren eventually put together four 1,000-yard rushing seasons. They played together and socialized and for years after they were in the league, they still called themselves “The Rookie Club.” --To the question of whether Seneca Wallace would be attractive in trade to the Atlanta Falcons considering Michael Vick’s situation … I wouldn’t doubt it. As a backup to Vick, they’ve got Joey Harrington, who has been undistinguished. The theory that the elusive Wallace could be a reasonable facsimile of Vick in the Falcons offense makes sense. However, the Seahawks aren’t going to trade Wallace without a proven commodity to step in behind Matt Hasselbeck. Do you want David Greene running the team if Hasselbeck goes down again this season? Right now, Seneca Wallace is a very valuable player for the Seahawks. Unless they can pick up a veteran backup who won’t cost them games, Seneca’s staying here. --Our coverage. Since you’ve all asked so politely … staffer Ryan Divish is going to handle the “beat” aspects of training camp for the first few days until our new beat writer, Frank Hughes, officially takes over next week. I’ll be there every day doing columns and, yes, continuing to man the weblog. Once Frank hits the ground, he will assume the weblog duties. Although, since you’ve been so welcoming and generous in your comments, it’s been decided that I’m going to continue contributing commentary and analysis in this space on a regular basis during the season. We haven’t yet decided on which days or how often … maybe on Monday to deal with post-game fall-out and perhaps Thursday to look ahead. Maybe you all can help advise on when it might be best to serve your needs. Thanks.
Categories: 2007 Training Camp
• 32 comments
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 11:24:14 am
I know how your little minds are working out there. Come on, confess. The second you Seahawks fans heard the allegations of betting and possible game-fixing by NBA ref Tim Donaghy, here’s what you thought: Well, if it can happen in the NBA, it can happen in the NFL. If it can happen in the NFL, it can happen in the Super Bowl. If it can happen in the Super Bowl, it can happen to the Seahawks. And people accused you of being paranoid … ha! Donaghy, you will point out, is from Pennsylvania … so are the Steelers. I’ll let you in on a secret that was meant as a joke. We had a zillion people covering Super Bowl XL, and we were spread from the main press box to auxiliary boxes set up in the stands. We communicated via instant messages on the computer. At halftime, I shot this IM to my boss, who was in a remote “aux” box: “Whoa, it looks like the fix is in.” It was a joking comment about the number of calls against the Hawks, but something obviously seemed strange to me. In my column from the game, I wrote that the Hawks certainly faced adversity but in the end didn’t play well enough – with so many drops and blown coverages -- to win. It was one of their worst performances of the season, I felt, even if you could set aside the officiating questions. And for the record, no, I don’t think the game was fixed. I also don’t think it was well-officiated. Sorry to bring up a sore topic … but you know you were thinking about it, and the Donaghy headlines opened the doors – fairly or unfairly – to a lot of questions in all sports. --pokey007. I can’t help you with strategies on ticket purchasing, but I think it’s a great topic for you all to discuss … so have at it. I suspect there is a competitive aspect to this, however, and the savvy vets might not want to yield their secrets. --On the Qwest Experience thread. Whoa, way to go, guys, terrific input … so many lengthy, thoughtful and enlightening reports. Thanks. I mentioned the thread to the PR folks with the suggestion that your thoughts be passed on to management. On that topic, I don’t like all the ads and promos and games on the big screen, either. They seem to work at baseball games because there’s so much down time. With football, it seems to get in the way of the natural action and the expectations of replays. As somebody whose salary is paid by the ads in the newspaper, I feel a touch hypocritical getting too sanctimonious on the topic. On the weekday game traffic headaches. Yes, but they’re certainly not going to turn down such games that give them national exposure. On a Super Bowl at Qwest? The league seems committed to having no games at “cold weather” sites with open stadiums. If they could re-route the Safeco Field roof to come across the street, maybe they’d have something. On having me rate the Qwest halftime experience … I usually get a hot dog, a coffee, some stats and check the television screens for what’s happening in other games. I never see what’s on the field. The only time I watch is when there’s a Ring of Honor presentation or something like that. I love that at other parks, too, especially when they bring back the old-timers. I love seeing some of the old icons of the game … although it’s often sad to see what the game has done to many of them. The wildest halftime show I can remember was in Miami (can’t remember, either ’96 or ’00). There was a monsoon going on, but it didn’t stop the halftime activities … representatives from local “men’s” clubs engaging in a dance competition wearing skimpy bikinis. I am not kidding you. I’m thinkin’ that wouldn’t go over too well in Seattle? On placing more of an emphasis on team history … I love the idea of the Steve Largent sculpture at the stadium … particularly if you could have Lester Hayes hanging off him. --On whether the complimentary weblog entry by “nanomoz” was actually me using a pseudonym … you don’t think I could come up with something better than “nanomoz”? Another secret, the fictional name I use when reserving tables at restaurants or when the lady at the haircut place demands a name … “Buck Rampart.” I think it’s enough of a combination of intergalactic explorer and ‘70s adult-movie actor to create the necessary confusion over my real identity. --On why I use the term “weblog” in place of “blog.” Frankly, to me the term “blog” sounds too much like a bathroom function. --On the possible addition of Chris Simms. What I read is that he’s not really healthy yet after that spleen surgery of last season. It looks like he’s expected to be a backup to Jeff Garcia in Tampa Bay, but they’re also looking at Daunte Culpepper, which would make Simms more expendable. I think it’s clear the Hawks would like having a veteran backup aside from Seneca Wallace, but I have no bankable “inside” information regarding the appeal or availability of Simms. The late addition of Trent Dilfer a few years ago shows that such things are sometimes workable. --On the post by “fender” regarding the terrific play made by Deion Branch at Arrowhead Stadium last season in which he stole back a ball that had been intercepted. I like the way you think “fender.” I thought that was one of the most alert, heads-up hustle plays of the year. That, and the time in Arizona when Matt Hasselbeck raced downfield about 15 yards to pick up a fumble by a receiver. I think it said a great deal about Branch as a player and team guy. But he still needs to have more catches and touchdowns this season. --A couple other notes. The arrival of rookies and quarterbacks Thursday doesn’t really signal much in the way of on-site coverage. They’ll be taking physicals and having meetings, etc., but we will have no access until the first practice Sunday morning at 8:45 … Also, to clarify, Seahawks officials actually made attempts to open training camp practices to some fan availability, but the City of Kirkland deemed that impossible, reportedly because of issues regarding parking, traffic, access, egress, etc. … The contract situation with fourth-round pick Baraka Atkins is said to be an agreement in principle awaiting an official signing, leaving second-rounder Josh Wilson the only unsigned rookie.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 39 comments
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 01:40:56 pm
Kicker Tyler Jones was released, the team announced this afternoon. He didn't have a prayer.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 14 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 11:35:32 am
Third-round pick Brandon Mebane has reached an agreement wtih the Seahawks, leaving just secon-round Josh Wilson and fourth-rounder Baraka Atkins left to sign before rookies and quarterbacks report to camp Thursday. We've talked about Mebane here in the past, and I'd say he was very impressive during the early minicamp drills with no pads. He's got a good body type, with a low center of gravity providing nice leverage. Obviously, stopping the rush is an area that needs buttressing on the Seahawk defense. What scouts liked about him was his ability to be strong in the hole and deliver a pop on the back once he shed his blocker.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 25 comments
Posted by Dave Boling @ 08:14:00 am
You guys have been asking me for opinions and “inside” information. I’m hoping you can help me with some opinions and “outside” information today. I cover every game from the press box. Some are better than others for seeing the action (Fed Ex Field’s is wrapped all the way around in the end zone), but at the very least, they’re dry (except for when the roof caves in during a storm at Arrowhead), and generally comfortable (San Francisco and Oakland notwithstanding). Qwest is one of the very best for so many reasons. I’m interested in hearing your take on watching games in the stands at Qwest … things you like or don’t like. Anything on your mind. Quality of seats, concessions, parking, security, prices. How does it compare to the experience at other parks you might have been to? The other part of this that rouses my curiosity is your take on fan interaction. As the crowd noise and fan activity has risen to make the 12th Man phenomenon a factor in games, I suspect it has changed the experience for some of the fans. I’ve gotten emails from some fans who proudly tell of standing and screaming the entire three hours, and from some others who say that sometimes their section gets so rude and profane that it’s not a good place to take their kids or actually see the game. I don’t really know what it’s like out there, but I’m sure you can provide some interesting perspectives. I thought you could give me some of your thoughts on the Qwest experience and take this topic as a springboard for an enlightening discussion. Thanks.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 71 comments
Monday, July 23rd, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 12:25:07 pm
You navigate your way to this destination in the ether because you are fans of the Seattle Seahawks. So, you’re not going to be too keen on hearing somebody criticize your favorite lads. But the question was asked and I’m not going to duck it just to curry favor with a lot of guys whose identities look like their license plates (klm 008), band names (Mongo 5), or CB “handles” (Jammer). Just as I was skittish about using the term “under-rated” – given the absence of fair context – I’m at least equally uncomfortable pinpointing anybody as “over-rated.” So many things go into a player’s performance … most obviously injuries. And I’m very sensitive to those issues. From ages 13 to 21, I spent much of my time getting lumps and bumps, concussions and contusions, dislocations and subluxations, sprains, strains and fractures on football fields. In short, big people hurt me. I specifically remember waking up almost every Saturday morning in the fall with this thought: “Man, I wish I felt better.” The beating these guys take at the NFL level is so much worse that it’s impossible for the typical fan to fathom. So, I tend to be a lot less critical of guys who are out there trying to do their jobs with bones sticking out. Still, it’s a bottom-line business. And it’s obvious that this team was nowhere near where it was in 2005. Instead of calling players “over-rated,” I’d rather look at some of them who “played down” last season. Much of it was because of injuries, some of it caused by collapses around them, maybe even by the schemes they were asked to employ at certain times. The positive part of this negative analysis is that very little seems to be a function of effort or attitude or talent. In ’05, Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselbeck, Steve Hutchinson, Walter Jones, Mack Strong, Lofa Tatupu and Robbie Tobeck made it to the Pro Bowl. Hutchinson was lost, of course, and I would say that every one of the others was markedly less productive last season … with injuries having the prime culpability. Coach Holmgren has said that to get to the Super Bowl, a team has to have career years out of its stars. When almost every one of them “plays down,” it’s amazing they even made it to the playoffs. Some specifics: --Tim Ruskell. It’s my opinion that the guy has done a marvelous job reshaping expectations and building a sound franchise foundation. But losing Hutchinson caused the Hawks to go from having one of the great lines in the business to having a mess that disrupted the entire offense all season. The team is better off because of Ruskell in the long run, but that deal alone was a black mark last season. --Shaun, Matt, Walter. Because of injuries, Shaun rushed for almost 1,000 fewer yards, Matt saw his passer rating drop 22 points, and Walter was less dominating than usual. There’s enough prior evidence on all of these guys to believe that last year was an aberration rather than a trend. But Shaun will be 30, a critical birthday for heavily used backs (he carried 430 times in the Super Bowl season). Hasselbeck was under heavy pressure and injured all season. Walter is 33, which is still not too gray as far as great tackles go, and he should be infinitely more effective if the rest of the line is solidified. --Mack Strong. Mack is unquestionably one of the all-time class guys. For the purposes of guys covering the team, we’d hope he can play for another decade. He was beat up last year, too, and not the blocker he was in previous seasons. --Lofa Tatupu. There’s every reason to believe he will be a terrific linebacker and team leader for many years, but it’s my opinion that he missed too many tackles last season. He wasn’t getting enough support from up front, obviously. Aside from that, I didn’t feel as if he was shedding blockers or meeting people in the hole as well as he did as a rookie, and he didn’t wrap up as well. Some of the more obvious guys he missed, Larry Johnson, Frank Gore, etc., were the kind of guys a lot of people whiffed on, though. --Michael Boulware. He got benched so questions of his “rating” are valid. But he’s a second-round pick who showed such promise in his first two seasons. Maybe Jim Mora can figure this out and get him back on the field and reliably productive. --Pork Chop Womack. The staff loves him for his attitude and his willingness to step into any position. He was given a shot to start, and although injuries were a large part of the problem again, he still hasn’t gotten the job done. Remember, this is his 7th season. --Marcus Tubbs. For Tubbs, it’s all been a matter of health. If he can get and stay healthy, he can be an absolute game-changer. But he’s a first-round pick who hasn’t put together an entire season, leaving fans still waiting for him to reach the potential so many see in him.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 33 comments
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
Posted by Dave Boling @ 01:24:38 pm
So you’re putting me on shaky ground. Pure opinion. But you asked for it so I’ll give it a whack. I’ve got my opinions … I’d like to hear yours. For my purposes, the base-line “rating” will be based solely on a general sense of how much public/fan/media attention players seem to generate. (See … entirely seat-of-the-pants analysis). Today, under-rated, tomorrow, over-rated. Some guys seem chronically under-rated and overlooked to some extent. Chuck Darby is undersized at his position but a battler; Bobby Engram is not the highest-profile receiver, but clutch; Chris Gray has never been to a Pro Bowl, but he started 121 straight games for these guys; Mack Strong was with the team 12 seasons before he made a Pro Bowl. Seneca Wallace stepped in during Matt Hasselbeck’s injury and ended up with a higher passer rating than the starting quarterback. Guys like Will Heller, Josh Parry, Tom Ashworth, Maurice Morris, Jordan Babineaux and others came off the bench last year and performed well enough that the team stayed afloat despite a rash of injuries. But I’m going to go beyond that group and pinpoint a few specific guys, in no particular order. --Josh Brown. Yes, the team franchised him, and he’s become one of the most-recognizable players on the team. But he didn’t make the Pro Bowl last year after making four game-winning field goals. Several of his six missed field goals were blocked, but they count against his percentage. He had a long of 54 yards. All of this was while breaking in a new snapper and holder, which is a major disruption of a mechanism that requires critical timing. His kickoffs were deeper and his positional kicking more precise. Any less reliable and this team doesn’t make the post-season. --Ryan Plackemeier. Nobody pays much attention to punters until they shank a few. This kid came in as a rookie and had a few exciting moments, but was fourth in the NFL in gross punting with a 45-yard average. Generally the net totals are more important, but during much of the season the Hawk coverage units were comprised of guys off the street, which didn’t help those totals. Plackemeier shanked an 18-yarder in the playoff game against Chicago, but he was under heavy pressure and it might have been blocked had he gone through with the full followthrough. The week before, he adroitly handled a pair of low snaps to get punts away against the Cowboys. The much-overlooked skill that added to Plackemeier’s value was as a holder. During that Dallas playoff game, remember that it was Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo who dropped a hold … not Ryan Plackemeier. --Leroy Hill. Hill had 92 tackles last year and led the team in tackles in the post-season. He was among those who played with injuries last year, and his sack total dipped from 7.5 to 2. He was used differently last season, though. I would contend he’s under-rated because he plays alongside Julian Peterson and Lofa Tatupu, guys who have been to the Pro Bowl. --Rocky Bernard. The Hawks’ rush defense took a beating last year, no question. But with Marcus Tubbs out, Bernard was relied upon heavily in the middle. His totals were not attention-getting, as he had 35 tackles, and his sack numbers dropped from 8.5 to 3.5. But Bernard limped through much of the season with different injuries, including a foot problem that landed him on the injury report just about every week in the second half. Talk from some of the staff and players was that he was a lot more banged up than anybody thought, but he kept showing up and playing through it, earning a great deal of respect for his effort.
Categories: Answers to your questions
• 22 comments
Friday, July 20th, 2007 |
