Seahawks Insider
Seahawks Insider
where there is no offseason

Eric D. Williams took over the Seahawks beat and Seahawks Insider blog in December. Williams has covered the Seahawks, Sonics and high school sports for The News Tribune since joining the paper in 2006. Eric lives in Tacoma with his wife and two children.

Tacoma News Tribune columnist Dave Boling also contributes to the Seahawks Insider blog.

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Seahawks Insider
Friday, February 22nd, 2008
Mike Holmgren on Shaun Alexander
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 03:28:18 pm

Where do you stand on the Shaun Alexander debate?

"I am speaking at his church coming up on Saturday. I don’t see it as much of a debate. Shaun, we know the type of back he can be. We know he has been hurt and it has affected his play the last couple years. I am not ready to buy into the fact that he hit 30 and all of a sudden he can’t play anymore. As I have said so many times, he is the lightning trod all last season. It is going to be a show-me type of year though. But I am not ready to write that one off yet."

Given what he will make next year, and given his price relative to his productivity, do you have to ask him to take a pay cut?

"I don’t have to ask him to do any of that. Someone else can do that if they choose to do that."

Did you hear his stance on that? On the radio he said classy organizations don’t ask their players to do that.

"I would argue with him about that. Sometimes you have to do those things. You absolutely have to do those things. And I wasn’t being a wiseguy about that. But I don’t have to do that anymore. Someone else does. And those discussions, I haven’t been privy to that discussion yet. When the time comes, if we have to have that discussion, we will have it. Balancing the salary cap and getting everything working properly, we have good guys who do that. I am still hopeful we can get something long-term with Trufant and give us a little relief from the salary cap. I hope so."

Categories: Scouting combine, Quotes, Mike Holmgren • 10 comments

COMMENTS:

pabuwal @ 15:42 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Email
I would accept that Shaun Alexander is washed up IF Morris was able to mount any type of consistency running. Having periodic success on draws does not count. A real run game gets the tough yards out of conventional formations and helps move the offense with consistency.

Morris was a disaster in those situations. Both Morris and Weaver also were worse than Alexander in pass protection. Alexander was the back in pass protection for the majority of pass plays. Not once did he whiff on a block. I saw Morris whiff in the Carolina game which led to the game ending sack and Weaver whiff in the Redskisn playoff game.
wes09 @ 16:03 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Email
Uggh I don't want another year like last year. sad
rbuzby @ 17:55 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Email
So Holmgren pretty much said "I'm not the GM!"

He is the coach, it's not his job to ask a player to take a pay cut. But it sounds like he thinks it may be needed.
jcoleman @ 18:19 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Email
This is Holmgren talk for: it's not my problem, I know Shaun is either going to take a pay cut or get cut.

I think Holmgren wants to try and give Shaun one more year in the NFL and bring in the new rookie like he did when Watters was here.

Just like the RB coach position, I think Ruskell is making the big decision on the RB because of the future, with a little Mora input.

I think Oline, TE and recievers is Mike Holmgrens thing, just a hunch.

Also, it looks more and more like Crumpler might be in Seahawks blue next year.

http://www.ajc.com/falcons/content/sports/falcons/stories/2008/02/21/crumpler_0222.html

I would have to say it's between the Hawks and the Bucs, but I think everyone knows what Quarterback he would rather catch passes from.
Just me @ 19:33 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008
There is no way Alexander is consistantly better than anyone in pass protection. At times this year he was better but by no means spectacular. He didn't wiff on blocks becuase half the time he didn't see the right person to block. The other half of the time he made decent plays.
williambryan @ 21:58 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Email
Alexander is obviously not the best blocking back in the league however he is not as bad as he is made out to be either. More often than not he does make a block that gives Hass enough time to make the throw. And as noted by pabuwal, Alexander was left in to block a lot in passing situations at the end of the year. I don't think that SA needs more motivation than he already has (trying to solidify his HOF spot) drafting a RB might help him a little though. And has anybody seen Stewart with his shirt off? he has a crazy upper body.
nidhighe @ 22:52 - Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Email
Holmgren can be too loyal to veterans. See Chris Gray as another example.
mingweezy @ 03:58 - Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 Email
Holmey's right, if we want cap relief, we need to give trufant the long-term deal that he wants and deserves.
skrati @ 12:29 - Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 Email
I think the question whether Alexander is washed up or not is irrelevant. RB is a position where you constantly need to bring in talent, and they haven't really done that the last few years. I'd say they need to draft a RB on the first day, and let him compete for the position.

For the most part, we need to draft best player available, but DT, RB, and TE are areas where it would be nice to get a first day pick.
nighthawk2 @ 09:35 - Sunday, February 24th, 2008 Email
Holmgren was being diplomatic, as usual. I don't why he'd be loyal to a guy who threw him under the bus after the Atlanta game at the end of the 04 season with the "stabbed in the back" crap. Alexander showed his true colors then. I guess it shows that Holmgren has more class than Alexander, but that's a given.

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