About time!

So it looks like it was a clean break up... Good for both sides. We will miss you Shaun good luck

Horribly sad day. Glad to see that Ruskell is so classy about it, saving a place in the ROH (I sound sarcastic, but i'm not, it's great that there isn't going to be any friction between the club and the player)

Great Day for the Seahawks!!! A giant load of dead weight off the teams shoulders

really a sad showing. I'll never convince those of you who insist to think of him this way of anything, and it's really not worth trying. I just feel bad that you have enough hatred in your heart not to appreciate everything this terrific Seahawk helped to give all of us as fans.

LMAO! He owes every yard he ever gained to Walter and Hutch. You guys can finally stop drinkin the Kool Aid now.

Maurice Morris looked terrible running behind the same line for the last 6 years. My favorite was his performance last year in obvious run situations (not the draws where he racked up most of his yards). A few times, he didnt even bother and just fumbled the ball.

Amen! Shaun's productivity went away the moment Hutch left for Minn.

Like I said, not my job to convince you. Just wish you could have enjoyed Shaun for the special player he was.

I understand that some of you are happy about it and I know you think it was a good move by the Seahawks. I am very sad to see him go but look forward to the future with new RB's. The one thing I would love to see from all of us TRUE Seahawks fans is to look back at SA's career and the many years of smiles he gave us.

Good Luck Shaun and thanks for the wonderful years you gave us. I do wish that you could have retired as a Seahawk.

For the life of me, I cannot see how a Jones/Duckett combo is an improvement over Alexander. If you examine career stats for Jones, it would seem his best effort barely surpasses Alexander's worst. I know he wasn't producing but I completely disagre with the replacement plan.

We will miss Shaun and I think Ruskell realizes he's gambling at best.

This is a m.i.s.t.a.k.e.

Wow...so some of you obviously think Walter Jones sucks...because as you've said, everything SA did was the result of Walt and Hutch, and we see how SA's production dropped when Hutch left....so Walt must suck too. You can't have it both ways.

SA was a great RB that found out like every other great RB that it's a different world when you turn 30.

And by the way, let's compare SA's statements about Seattle and the team with those of Hutch (whom some of you obviously still have a HUGE man-crush on).

SA is leaving saying good things about the team, his team mates, the coaches, the fans and the city. I'm still waiting to hear something like that from Hutch.

Very good career, but definitely time to go in a new direction, maybe even a year too late. Don't know how productive Jones/Duckett will be this year, but I'd be really shocked if Shaun joined another team and went off this year. Good for him if he does, but I just don't see it. He lost a step, and since he was never the fastest back to begin with, his effectiveness really dropped. I wish him well, he's had a good run.

In other news, the Vikings currently have the best left guard in the NFL and he's still in the prime of his career.

As much as I think Shaun was a product of Walt, Hutch, Robbie, Hannam, and the downfield blocking of Joe-Joe in '05... I really do wish him the best... Even though he p!ssed me off sometimes (back stabbing comment in '04, sissy style running that I didn't like, etc.) the fact of the matter was that he was a good RB for this franchise and we shouldn't be wishing him any ill will. Although I never liked him as much as Curt Warner, he really is/was the best RB this franchise has ever had.

Good luck, Shaun (unless you're playing the Seahawks).

How'd I not include the dominating blocking FB in '05? Sorry, Mack.

In no way are my (for one) comments about Hutch a backhand to Walt. When Hutch left the entire line suffered. Gray had retired and had to be pulled back out, Pork Chop was hurt and the stability was gone. In fact, Shaun had more yards off the right side that year. If big Walt left we'd be saying much the same thing.

As for Hutch's comments, Shaun got PAID by the 'Hawks, Hutch did not, enoght said.

I saw a great piece a few years back about how even though Shaun gained about the same amount of yards to the left and right in '05...

It stated that a good chunk of those right side yards was a result of being able to cut back (thanks to the dominant left side blocking where Hutch was pancaking his guy so that guy was totally out of the play when Shaun came back through for big yards).

Within 20 minutes of Clayton reporting the SA release on KFFL, the Pats and Colts are interested.

He could be be back this year.

Does this help the CAP at all?

Ding Dong the fetal-positioned puss is dead! This is the greatest day in Seahawk history! Welcome back, screen pass. Welcome back, blitz pickup. Don't let the door knock you unconscious on the way out, you pillow-soft stiff.

I think SA was a terrific back, and I wouldn't be surprised if he returns to the probowl with another team. His statement was totally classy, and he contributed a lot to this team. The same guys who are criticizing him now were were cheering for that 27th TD a couple of years ago.

That being said, I don't think Ruskell had much choice because SA apparently refused to take a pay cut. You might call it greed, but his agent probably advised against it because it would be admitting that his skills have diminished when no doubt he blames his production problems on injuries. I don't really blame him.

My concern now is that our running game is going to continue to be mediocre or worse with the new guys. Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither one of our new RBs has ever rushed for a thousand yards.

It looks like we're going to use our first pick on a starting caliber RB this weekend, unless they have their eye on someone in a later round who they think is a sleeper.

Ya know, football is a brutal sport, and especially for running backs. I would love to see those guys who are bashing SA strap on some pads and try it for a couple of plays. After momma doctors them up with icy hot and powerranger bandaids, they might limp back to work flipping burgers with a whole new appreciation for SA and the violent sport that these guys play at that level.

There is no way the running game could be worse than last year. It was the right time to make a move. Will it pay off, we will find out soon enough, but I do not think the situation as it was would get any better.

I can't wait for all you SA haters to eat your words when he puts together ANOTHER great season for another team this coming year. 90% of you haters jumped on the bandwagon during the 05 season and don't have a clue what it's like to be a real fan. Stay at home and jump on the Giants bandwagon. You suck! Thank you Shaun for your part in puting the 'Hawks on the NFL map. Your efforts are appreciated by those who have a clue.

I remember SAs 4 TDs in one half vs Vikes.

Sad day. Even sadder to see all the folks bagging on him, when most likely we'll never see a running back as good in our lifetimes. You gave us our first NFL MVP season and a TD record for a year. Glad you played for Seattle and good luck wherever you go next.

You said the magic word, effort. I think that's what most people are disappointed in, his lack thereof. Valid or not, that can be debated, but his running "style" lends itself to criticism. He's gone down without getting tackled, for christs sake. And another thing, the fact I'll never again have to see him smiling on the sideline during a loss will be welcome indeed. He put up some great numbers through the '05 season but that good will is long gone. There are alot of us who never wanted him to get a long term deal but after the MVP year the Seahawks felt they had to sign him. Injuries aside, he let everyone down thereafter.

It's a bitter sweet day for this Seahawks fan. My greatest memory in 30+ years of being a Seahawks fan is 2005 and SA is a "HUGE" part of that memory. His injuries the last two years really blurs whether he can still perform at a 'very' high level, but it would not surprise me if he moves to another team and produces for them admirably.

I wish him the very best - except when/if he plays us.

If SA's "refusal to take a pay cut" was the reason for his being released, why is TR now saying they are not yet decided if Alexander is going to be designated a June 1 cut or not. "We are still batting that around, but we are fine either way". If SA isn't a June 1 cut he gets 3 x $2.3M = $6.9M this year. That's more than he was going to get if he stayed on the team through '08. If nothing else, it's disheartening to listen to TR's lies. Sonics-gone. SA-gone. Rocky-gone?

Shaun has class in his comments (unlike SOME ex-Hawks like Brown and Hutch) as he is leaving so why don't we also have some class and not bust his a$$ on the way out of town. Great line or no it was SA who was one yard short of the NFL rushing title one year (yeah, he got pissy about it) and won the MVP and set the all-time (then) TD record in 2005 with on the way to the SB. For gosh sakes look back and appreciate what he gave to every fan who watched him, including YOU.

Was he the best pass-catcher (a good thing in WCO)? Not at all. Was he the best blitz pick-up blocker? Not even close. But when he ran in those several great years he was GREAT! The O-line and coaches changed. He was injured two consecutive years. He lost a pro bowl LG, C and FB. He avoided hits like a lawn chair the last years. But come on, HE COULD RUN! And he made us all proud and did the city and the Team well when he was in his prime. And the dude smelled the goal line like few others in recent memory.

Please recall what he did well and be kind to a great running back who fell off the highest level of play in the NFL the last two years. EVERYONE declines sometime in the NFL, but for Jim Brown. Have some class everyone. Don't kiss his A$$ but don't kick it either. He was a GREAT Seahawk when he was great.

GO SEAHAWKS

Shaun got too much credit for being good in '05 thanks to the great blocking he had.

However, he did get too much blame the last two years. Gray is went from effective enough in '05 to outright terrible in 06-07.

Lock played well but didn't seem to greatly improve like you'd expect from a 3rd and 4th year player. He's a great pass blocker, but he's like Walt... that's his strength, not run blocking (although Walt is still good at it).

Walt aged a few years - even though he's still one of the best.

Spencer has not been able to replicate the play of Robbie of '05.

Then we get to the terrible LG position. Terrible. Went from the best LG in the NFL in '05 to one of the worst combination of clowns in the league at that position the past two years.

We lost Hannam's dominant TE run blocking and replaced that with nobody who could block close to that well.

Our WRs are/were small and nothing like a monster at downfield blocking like Jurevicius. Mack was still a stud, but he wasn't as good in 06 as 05 and Weaver is not in that league in blocking for the mid/later part of 07.

I don't care who we would have had the last two years... LTII in '06, Adrian Peterson this past season... our running game would have been nothing overly special.

Colts and Pats are interested? Don't think Shaun's agent didn't test the waters the last couple of months waiting for this release. They probably wanted released if they knew those 2 teams were interested.

If he's healthy. He should be successful.
I thank him for some great running and fun games.

Remember 5 td's against the Vikings in the 1st half? mostly on screens? 139yds that night rushing - 80 receiving.
His first start 176yds?
266yds vs oakland?
MVP 28td's? 1880 yards?
200yds vs GBay with fractured foot?
putting up with fan crap?
Awesome.

I think this line from Sando is right on:

In the end, Alexander ran out of time. His production was no longer great enough to cover for his shortcomings, and the team decided to cut its losses.

klm008, I believe money was only a factor when you looked at how much money was tied up at the rb position with SA, Mo, Jones, Duckett, etc. I think the Hawks just decided it was time to go in a different direction at the rb position, and I am going to guess that SA was not even approached to renegotiate after JJ and Ducket were signed.

Damn, I hope J.Stewart falls to the Seahawks on Saturday.

Somebody please answer this: Why wouldn't the Seahawks trade him for ......"something"?

1 I do not think JStew will be availible at 25, and I am not sure the Hawks take him even if he is;
2. SA was unappealing in any trade because of his contract. No team would want to pay him what he was due

I was really hopin for one more season with a revamped o-line. I think SA can still be an effective back with a little running room. I wish him the best of luck!

Shaun took the high road with his parting statement, especially given all the booing that took place last season.

I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to figure out what road most of the commenters on this thread have chosen to take.

Best of luck Shaun. You've definitely made your mark on Seahawks history.

seahawk44 --- what would anyone have given for him? Nothing. Would you trade for a player who you thought would get cut... and if he did get cut, you could get him for a cheaper price?

I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVI LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!E SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA! I LOVE SA!I LOVE SA!

Well, for the first time in 10 years, many of these "fans" will get to see what average to below average running backs do on the field. We haven't seen sub-par RBs in Seattle for quite sometime. I'd have to say before Watters who was in the twilight of his career at the time also.

I guess there's always the 2010 season.

TR has shown once again that he is no good at offense.

Forget about a RB in the first round, Rocky in conjunction with Wyms, Darby and Green have sealed the first day's picks and they won't include a RB.

IDHawkman, you can complain about TR's move at rb, but I personally do not think SA would have made the position any better than what JJ, Duckett, and Mo can do, and other than the moves that were made, I do not see what else TR could have done so far with the rb position. I actually believe what Hawk fans have seen the last two years with SA and Mo as average to below average, and SA has been nothing but a subpar rb the last two years.

It really is a sad day in Seattle. It's tough losing a future hall of famer. Personally, I thought we should have let Shawn go after '05 and resigned Hutch, not for any reason other than Hutch has a longer career ahead of him. Shawn's lack of production easily could have been caused by injuries and bad play from the O-Line. Alexander wasn't the type of back to take a hit so I think he has tread left on the tires. I wouldn't be suprised if he had a great year in '08. I think the patriots would be a good team for him.

About time now it good for me to sell his jersey or trade it for one that I really want and that is Matt Hasselback.


Sorry for any fans of his but I am so glade he is gone because he wasnt good player without the two best OL WJ and Steve H and for all his fans who was drinking his koolaid let be real.

Today is great day for seahawks fans in general.....

You might be wondering why I have his jersey is because my mom bought it at some outlit store and that all they had.

Typical Sea-Town fans backstabbing. I don't know why people can't say "hey shawn thanks for the ride; the superbowl, mvp year, being a standup guy and a role model(see no wife-beating, no fights, no drinking/drugs)". I know it was time to move on, but be happy and grateful for all the good times. I thought Shawn looked pretty tough against one of the best defenses ever when we played the Bears in Soldier field; remember what that game looked like earlier that year, when MO started? Shawn Alexander:the best Seahawk running back....EVER....and Curt Warner and Chris Warren weren't even close, let alone some over the hill Ricky Waters.

In reality, this is actually better for SA financially. He's already recieved his money for the big signing bonus and this year was in reality the last year of his contract the way it was structured. So now he can sign a new contract with a new signing bonus and be about on par with what JJ got from us here.

In an effort to remind people of the proper history here and not to have it rewritten to bash SA, let's recap:

The myth here is that SA has lost it. Reality is that he has not. That's why he was like the #3 rusher in the league through 4 games last year until Mack went down. He was on pace for a 1500 yard season at that point.

What has happened to SA the past two years is:

Locklear: Injured for 6 games in 06 and hurting for a number of games in 07 with high ankle sprains.

Gray: Old and no good for more than two years now. Anyone that watches the games can see he whiffs his guys and gives them free shots at SA in the backfield.

Toebech: Injured and gone in 06. Spencer on a learning curve trying to cover for Grays inability to pass block also hurts his learning curve.

Futch: Gone in 06. Spencer and Sims (and Womack) on a learning curve and often missing their assignments.

Big Walt: playing injured for two years now with shoulder problems. not near the rush blocker he was in 05 and before.

Stevens: Injure for 6 games then gone after 06 and we are still searching for a blocking replacement. That's pretty bad when Stevens comes out as a better blocker than what you currently have.

Mili: Injured and gone in 06.

JJ: We don't have any blocking WRs like JJ was in 05.

Mack: retired after 4 games in 07.

OLINE Coach: Could not coach a flea to bite a dog let alone a bunch of new guys on how to block in a Holmgren offense.

In 05 SA had plenty years behind him in helping his blockers setup blocks and he knew the tendencies of the oline. All that went away and at a much faster rate than anyone can possibly imagine. I'm not blaming TR for that but because TR was so distracted with the defense at the same time, did not see what was happening on the offensive side of the ball.

Let's all hope that Solari is as good as we hope he is. Wahle is as good as we hope he is. Jones and Spencer's surgeries work as well as we hope they do and that Sims, Willis or Wrotto can step up in the RG position. We also need to hope that none of them get hurt, that we find a TE that can block at least as well as Stevens did and that the RBs can setup blocks half as well as SA could.

That's a lot of hoping this year.

People who can't see what "happened" to SA the past two years remind me of the people who can't spot a bargain house because it is in disrepair but then they turn around and complain that they never get the "bargains" in the market. You have to see through the dirt and the clutter to see what you really have and if you do that in this case, you'll see that SA is not the problem here. But we'll wait until the season to start to hear about it.

Ahhhh, take another drink of that Kool Aid. SA had one, count em ONE, year where he ran like a man - 2005, which by "coincidence" was his contract year. He got paid and went right back to the Diva he truly was, is, and will be. That's the facts, and anyone you knew crappola would realize it. Those who bought his jersey don't.

His MVP means as much as Brittany Spears Gold records - zero. Certainly wasn't based in reality- - he was the 4th or 5th most valuable Seahawk that year, much less in the NFL. Don't believe the hype or the PR releases....join the reality based community.

Shaun helped put the Hawks on the map. To say he only had one good year is asinine, please take a closer look at his stats. I'm glad he was a part of the Hawks past, but believe this is the best option for both parties. I wish him the best of luck in his rest of his career.

Wouldn't be interesting if he signed with Dallas - that could be a could combo.

In the end, Shaun was a classy guy who played an important role in the best, most exciting season in Seahawks history.

Even if in the last 2 years he'd rushed for zero yards on 500 carries I'd still remember the good times.

GO HAWKS and thanks Shaun for the memories.

Bassn,

You talk to us about kool-aide? SA was the first RB in NFL history to run for 1000+ yards and have 15 or more TD in 5 consecutive seasons.

Jim Brown - No
Walter Payton - No
Emmitt Smith - No
Marcus Allen - No
John Riggins - No
Larry Csonka - No

Name anyone else that you want to but they didn't do what he did. And that's the facts.

Give credit to the oline also during those years but regardless, the others listed also had great olines and still didn't do what he did.

I guess it was time... but I had a blast watching #37 stiff arm hapless linebackers as he glided into the endzone.

I will remember him carrying two Bears into endzone in the playoffs. He ran hard that game. Really hard. It was also the last time he was fully healthy...

I'll wear my #37 jersey on occasion just like I wear my Skansie one. Fans need to not hate on a player for getting to the end of their career. This last season was painful to watch - but nowt that he is done everyone needs to chill out and realize we had a great back on the Hawks for quite a few years. Sean is a great fit in NE or Indy. Watch him flourish as a role player. out.

un's salary info for the past few years are listed here, with ALL of the other NFL players. I'mm miss him on the Seahawks, but he was paid well while he was here, and that's the nature of the beast!

http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/playerdetail.aspx?lname=alexander&player=23&loc=interstitialskip

You're going to drown in the Kool Aid if you believe NE or Indy have even the slightest interest in Alexander - that's just his ego making promises his body can't keep. I very much doubt he will be picked up by any NFL team and then only if he is willing to play for the veteran minimum salary.

ASSnw--your own opinions do not constitute the sum total of reality. All you have offered in bashing SA and anyone who has anything to say good about him is opinion..based on zero facts.

Did you start watching the Hawks in '05, after we won 10 games and looked to be a Super Bowl team? I think you are the only one on this blog young enough to still be drinking any Kool-Aid. Your favorite flavor seems to be Hatoraid.

bassnw--I don't know why I bother, but please read IDHawkman's posts about change and about top running backs. Apparently you don't recognize these RB names that Shaun was BETTER than, but they are significant.

People with the balanced view are correct in that 1. No player is a star without good team help. 2. Injuries will hurt anyone's production. 3. Alexander's running style did hurt him because he needed space to perform it. 4. Age hinders all--why aren't all the HOF dudes still playing? 5. Almost all RB's have a limited shelf life. 6. None of know how much pain he might have played with.

Mostly, I'm tired of people such as yourself who do not recognize that repeatedly all of our backs were confronted with a defensive player already in the backfield before any options were available. Before anyone can run, they have to have some sort of blocking.

This is good for the team and for Alexander, and I wish him well even playing against the Seahawks as long as his team doesn't win.

I'll be marking the calendar until TR is out the door, after trying relentlessly to turn the Seahawks into a third-rate version of the Falcons with many of their old discards replacing our former stars and veterans. After management's lies and deceptions this year (and game playing throughout ruskell's tenure), and his obvious efforts to sabotage and downgrade every aspect of Holmgren's offense, its easier to understand why Holmgren doesn't want to mess with the situation any longer. I feel bad for the players, and feel terribly betrayed as a devoted fan since the early eighties. This was the last straw, for me, I will continue to root for the Seahawks but have no respect or trust left in the current organization.

Dinks, Shaun was at best an average back for a year or so playing on an excellent football team coached by a HOF coach. Ask the team how much they'll miss his pansy ass, (you notice SA was never voted a team captain by the team) and he was always voted most overated RB by the other guys in the league.

Anyway, he's finally outta here so you SA groupies can move back to rooting for the Mariners, Storm or whatever else you kinda people do. Leave Football to the football guys.

Hey folks, this is a business decision and the customers have spoken, loud and clear. The fans buy tickets to come watch hard hitting football and from the chorus of boos at QWest last year, they were not happy with the product on the field. A smart businessman would listen to that and make a decision about the cost of his product and the whether the customers like it. And they don't, that is obvious. So he spends his money on something else they will like.

This has nothing to do with Shaun the person, Shaun the MVP, or Shaun in 2007. This is all about what is going to sell tickets and win games in 2008. Loyalty and business don't mix. And the NFL is first and foremost a business, make no mistake about that.

Ya'all need to get a dose of NFL reality here. We are not fans, we are customers. This is not a sport, it is the entertainment business. Shaun has ceased to be good entertainment. End of story.

Assnw--the closest wimps like you ever came to football is your playstation. What you know of the NFl fits on the head of a pin.

Average backs dont score 115 TD's, no matter how good the surrounding players. Average back dont run for 1,000 yards 5 years in a row.

You--a football guy?!--in a pig's eye!

Hey STD BM, STFU