Duckett is not a Holmgren but a Ruskell guy and Holmgren has repeatedly said he's having problems figuring out how to use Duckett. Methinks Duckett needs to show something soon or he's a dead man walking.

Thanks Frank.

Interesting that you're thinking Forsett v Duckett ... it would seem to me that keeping Forsett, Morris and Jones would give us trio of very similar backs. Duckett may be a one-trick pony, but his one trick is one that the other three contenders don't have in their arsenal. But then, if it's obvious that TJ is the 4th best among the four RB candidates, it's appropriate that he be on the bubble ... we do have Weaver and perhaps Schmitt as a potential short yardage package.

I believe it still comes down to Ruskell and Holmgren who has the final word?

Actually, I am very happy that Forsett has forced Holmy into this very difficult decision. This speaks volumes for the 7th round draft choice who no one gave a chance to make the team.

Keep it up Justin.

This whole conundrum is an easy solution if I was the guy pulling the strings...

Forsett has proven that he belongs in this league and is pouring more heart out there and giving more of an effort than any other player that is stepping onto that field. He has easily surpassed Duckett and only has to prove that he can stand up to the 1st defenses Morris and Jones face.

Duckett is clearly at the bottom of the totem pole and is expendable...and I dont give a rats ass about his money situation...it'll all be for the better in the long term.

And if I am worried about any short yardage situations and don't really have faith that Mo, Jones or Forsett can get the job done...then simply put Weaver at FB and stack up Big Ole Owen Schmitt behind him. Take the leash off Schmitt and let him crack some skulls. Or you can reverse it and let Schmitt break some helmets blocking for weaver.

There ya go, easy as pie.

Hey Bob, did you get the job? How'd the interview go?

Forsett has put the team in an interesting bind. He has all but played his way onto this team in some fashion. Nobody could have expected that. They gave Forsett every oportunity to fail (and I don't think for one minute they gave him an opportunity to succeed as much as they wanted to be able to say...'see we told ya so) but he hasn't taken the bait. Instead he's forced the team to figure things out.

Now the FO has the problem of figuring out what to do with Duckett and his 4 million guaranteed. If Duckett didn't have that money the decision would be easy.

This is a problem that good teams have. Knowing that whatever they do somebody will be let go that by all rights should probably be kept.

I love it when a guy plays so well he forces the team to adjust their thinking on the roster. Those kind of players are the most fun to watch......way to go Forsett!

Holmy's damn right there will be a public backlash if they cut Forsett. Especially if he keeps playing the way he has. This kid has shown that he can play football on the NFL level. I'm not saying he's going to be a star, but he's definately better than aveage and could be our RB of the future. Instead we keep Duckett? A flameout former first rounder who never met his potential. I don't see the logic.

"Guys like that...Forsett, Hawthorne...you just gotta find a way to keep 'em. Sometimes it stacks up players too deep in any given position, but you gotta find a way... It helps the team..."

Relieved to hear Holmgren say that.

I admit that I am reading between lines here, but it sure sounds to me like Holmgren never did like the idea of bringing Duckett in, and wants to keep Forsett. I thought at the time that the Hawks were paying Duckett more than twice the going rate for his services. Now it is certain--they paid to much for a player on the downward side of his career.

ANd it sounds to me like Holmy aknowledging the fan fallout cutting Forsett would bring is a dig at Ruskell and Mora for making this decision more difficult than it needs to be. Sounds to me like Holmy's hands are tied, and he isnt too stoked about it.

I was initially excited but confused when we signed Duckett. He played really well down the stretch last season for Detroit, but he looks to have lost his spark in the offseason.

With all the talent stacked up at RB, the Hawks have no need, and no room, for a guy too slow to play TB, and who doesnt block well enough to unseat any of our three FB's. His short-yardage running has not been great either. We have one true FB (Schmitt) and one hybrid (Weaver) who should be getting a shot at short yardage.

Whoever heard of paying 2million bucks plus a year plus a roster spot for a guy to only run short-yardage plays?!

This is no debate. Forsett stays Duckett goes. Enough said. Now about WR...................

GO GET ANQUAN BOLDIN!!!! To go with Branch Engram and Burlson. He is a SPECIAL type of reciever. all our young guys are ok, but they are young. They are not special. They may be above average at best.

SEATTLE HAS NOT HAD A PRO BOWL RECEIVER SINCE 1989 (Brian Blades)....Imagine Hass throwing to Boldin :) We could have had Randy Moss for a 4th round pick!! Hmmmmm. Instead we gave a first rounder for Branch.
Hmmmmmm.

Is this just a function of Holmys west coast offense where all receivers contribute? If so you would have a hard time talking me out of believeing we would be better with a SPECIAL receiver like Moss, Bolden, T.O. etc...

PS As optimistic as I am for this season...neither Mo Morris nor Julius Jones is SPECIAL. SA in his prime was. Watters was. those two arent. Forsett may be:)

I want to see Forsett start one of these preseason games, so he can go against a good starting defense. Monday vs SD would be perfect.

I also want to see a Schmitt + Weaver short yardage package, again against a starting defense.

We'd learn a lot!

If we cut Duckett I sure hope we do not rue the day we did so. Neither Weaver, Schmitt or Kirtman has proven that they can consistently convert short yardage situations AT THE NFL LEVEL in their careers. Sure, you have to give them the chance- I get that- but having a backup plan is paramount. I like Jones, Morris and Forsett, but all three are a bit "light in the pants" for that duty. Me thinks that we'll find out on Monday night if the other guys- Schmitt and Weaver and Kirtman- can consistently get this done against an NFL team. If they can't figure that out against the Chargers, then we'll find out against the Raiders. So- in other words- Duckett's fate may lye in the hands (or bodies) of other players.

We do NOT want to be the team that cannot convert short yardage with regularity. We do NOT want to pick up Zach Crockett mid-season because we can't get this done. We do NOT want to wish we still had Duckett even though we ate his salary.

Another note- potentially getting cut- Obomanu- I like the guy, but we does he bring to the table that other scrap heap receivers do not? He's not super fast. He isn't real physical or tremendously athletic. His hands aren't crazy good and his experience isn't that great. I fear for his roster security.

One more thought- I don't really care who starts opposite Kerney between Tapp and Jackson. Because they're both going to get lots of snaps. As long as its not Baraka Atkins. I have a nickname for him- "the invisible man".

Has anyone noticed him doing ANYTHING on the field this preseason?

The only thing I notice him for is wearing Julian Peterson's old number.

The old #59 used to make plays.

Speaking of- I'm ready for Kerney to get on the field. If he can't stay out there, both Tapp and Jackson will see plenty of snaps. I like that line, "Tapp has to suck it up." How about - when Tapp is on the field he needs to tackle the QB when he gets a free shot at him. What was that all about?

chuck024- do you really think Ruskell would have brought in Moss?

I think we know that answer.

When we have Weaver and Schmitt who can get short yardage I dont see the value in keeping Duckett! Forsett, Momo and JJ all look good behind the line.
Any chance we can trade Frye and Duckett to the Cards and a 2nd round pick for Boldin? LOL no but seriously - they need a QB controversy down there and the leinart/old Warner dude is not cutting it for me throw in Frye and make it really interesting.

Keep em both and IR Forsett when Bobby comes back.

Now that report was insightful. Good questions and well posed. BTW: IDHAWK: I read your input on another site. My guess is you were a Marine.

nicklicata...uh, do you have a job?

i heard we offered another first rounder for boldin (arizona was contacted by 17 teams after asking for a trade), which is surprising because i don't think he fits the "character" mold that the team is built on. here's a guy who had his rookie contract torn up, got 23 mil guaranteed and is now bitching bc his contract isn't as big as fitz'. on the flip side, moss was trouble and soon as he got to NE he shut up and played...

btw - i agree on Obo...just hasn't shown enough and i remember a couple games last season that he got a chance and didn't shine then either. lazy on routes, didn't fight for the ball, he's out...

I have actually been wondering something about this situation which not one person has mentioned. It's the possibility of using Justin Forsett as the short yardage back. Ok done laughing yet? Well that was the role that he was used in during his early college years. This was while he was behind not only Marshawn Lynch (5'11" 215) but also J.J Arrington (5'9" 212). Why would they use the smallest back in short yardage situations when you have two larger and arguably talented backs (at least according to draft postion)

So basically I'm asking why can't we use him in the same fashion? No, he will never move the pile but he is one of the fastest backs I have ever seen from hand off to the hole. He will take on defenders when necessary and will drag a defender or two with him. I just thought I would get that out there and hopefully get some input.

Can we just stop the Boldin talk RIGHT NOW? I have a better chance of being named King of all of North America than the Seahawks have of getting the Cardinals to trade a player of Boldin's calibre to a Division rival.

The Cardinal's FO has made some boneheaded decisions over the years, but even they wouldn't make this blunder.

IF Boldin is traded it will be to a team outside of the NFC West and maybe even outside the NFC.

The Cardinals appear to be sticking to their guns on this one and saying they won't trade him at all. Boldin does have the same agent as TO so look for this to get ugly with a capital U in the next few weeks.

"... in other news, chuck easton was named king of all of north america today..."

dcbeeh,

Nope, Army all the way. Was in 1st and 5th Special Forces groups. 5th when they were in Ft. Bragg and 1st out of Ft. Lewis. as e'or would say, "thanks for noticin".

Finster,

Forsett sees holes very quick and can actually get to them before they close. He might work in a short yardage situation since he might be able to pick out the "hole" that is create. SA was great at seeing holes and getting there when he was in his prime. Still wasn't bad even the last couple of years seeing those holes near the goal line. Maybe if Forsett can do that, we could use him in short yardage situations, but that would be a big risk and that is not somehting the "Big show" does much of - taking risks.

One thing about the Forsett/Duckett conundrum - there are quite a few ways to build the roster and keep both of them.

The team usually kept 7 LB'ers inthe past, there's only 6 viable candidates this year. The team's often kept 10 total DL's, this year they look set with 9. Babs' ability to play at CB & S allows you to free a spot there. Or if you aren't sold on Frye's potential, just go with 2 QBs.

IMO, Forsett's spot is already locked up. The fact that he's handled practically every KR/PR opportunity so far speaks volumes. No way they hand that job back off to Nate or Wilson once the regular season starts, especially when they're relying on those 2 to step up at their respective positions. So I think Forsett's already made it on ST value alone.

In my eyes, the burden's now on Duckett to convince the coaches to keep the extra RB, not on Forsett.

I understand it may seem like a risk. Really though it's not as though he isn't used to this role. I have been an avid Cal fan since I was a child growing up in the bay area and have followed him since he has been there. I am just wondering why it would be such a risk when he has fit in this role his whole career.

There is a chance that Boldin could be traded here. Remember D-Jack to San Fran? Our top WR to a Division rival. Dont rule it out just yet... if our young guys are struggling I can see Ruskell throwing a 1st and 5th to Arizona.

I like our positon battles this preseason.

Coutu vs. Mare - Coutu wins

Jackson vs. Tapp - Tapp wins til week 6 Jackson will take over.

Forsett vs. Duckett - No brainer right?

Putzier vs. Carlson vs. Heller - Heller wins out for now

Kirtman vs. Schmitt - Schmitt

Babin vs. Atkins - Atkins, even though Babin has been playing well. Atkins is younger and we've invested a 4th rounder on him.

Mo vs. Jones - Mo

Isn't Forsett the same size as Warrick Dunn?
Xcept Weighs more, lifts more. There's been plenty of small backs like that in the past.

Mo & JJ aren't going anywhere.
Play Justin in the 1st half against the Boltz & let TJ run the 2nd half. Find out if TJ can come anywhere close to Forsett's performance against subs & See if Forsett can live up to the hype.

Technically didn't we invest a 3rd rounder into Babin when we traded 3rd round pick Boulware for him???? ;)

Yes, a 3rd rounder in him and he was the Texan's first round pick the year he came out. I think Babin wins this battle if he steps it up like in game one against the Vikes. I'd like to see Atkins "do" something the next couple of games.

The PI has a good article on Babin on their blog site today.

Agent Shopping Veteran WR to Eight Teams
by Ed Thompson of ScoutNFLExperts.com, August 20, 2008 at 11:09am ET

Joe Horn Profile


"The Atlanta Falcons terminated the contract of wide receiver Joe Horn on Tuesday, August 19. The 12-year veteran had been seeking his release or a trade after languishing deep on the team's depth chart and was hampered during much of camp with a minor hamstring injury.

The Palm Beach Post is reporting that Horn's agent has been in contact with the Titans, Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos, Seahawks, Jaguars, Packers, and Rams in hopes of finding a team that can provide a better playing opportunity for his client.

The 6-foot-1, 211-pound receiver has compiled 603 career receptions for 8,744 yards and 58 touchdowns while playing for the Chiefs, Saints and Falcons."

Hmmm

IR'ing Forsett is a damned fine idea.

what are the rules on IR'ng? I doubt he is actually going to get hurt between now and opening day so while I know people go onto IR for minor problems isn't that a voluntary kind of thing? He knows he can get PT somewhere else so why sit on IR when he could probably sign with another team for more money if he gets put on the practice squad?

It seems the closer Branch is to playing the more likely they might keep 6 rbs. If they PUP Branch I would think that seals Duckett's fate, keep 5 and an extra wr. In either case, Forsett has really forced their hand. What a stud.

Putting Forsett on the IR is a bad idea for a few reasons:

1.) Not eligible to contribute at all for the 2008-09 season. With no incentive to play, the Seahawks run the risk of him becoming lazy and developing bad habits...also cannot practice with team while on IR.

2.) Sends a horrible message to the rest of the team..."if you work hard, play well, and win a position we'll put you on IR so you can't play."

3.) Classless, transparent move by a classy organization. Those type of roster moves are not soon forgotten in the NFL.

NickHawk,

Just because the agent is shopping Horn doesn't mean the team will be buying. Remember Alexander's agent has been shopping him around all spring/summer.

I wouldn't bet my salary on Seattle making a serious play for Horn.

Moss? Have you taken a complete leave of your senses? Is there a more unlikeable player in the game today? Do his considerable talents outweigh the inevitable cancer he becomes to every team he's played on? The bloom will be off the rose this year...he'll start pouting and whining in NE by Game 4 because he was open and not passed to for two plays in a row. And maybe head to the locker room early. Total loser.

I agree with you wabubba. I thought the reason people were so high on Forsett was because of the contributions he could make to the team. Putting him on IR would prevent him from playing or practicing.
Everyone is so convinced the Mora is a huge Duckett fan. Well he did pretty well with a small, but quick and strong back in Dunn when he had his best year in Atlanta. I love the idea of Forsett as a return man this year and occasional change of pace back. If Morris or Jones were to get injured he could step in and take a few carries.

"There is a chance that Boldin could be traded here. Remember D-Jack to San Fran? Our top WR to a Division rival. Dont rule it out just yet... if our young guys are struggling I can see Ruskell throwing a 1st and 5th to Arizona."

Here's the difference: San Francisco was the only one offering anything of value for D-Jack. Over half the league is willing to pony up at least a first round pick for Boldin. If Arizona decided they wanted to trade him, they would have plenty of teams to choose from. Seattle only had one option if they wanted anything in return for Jackson.

As for Forsett/Duckett, I wouldn't mind giving Duckett a chance to play his way out of a bad preseason the way Weaver did last year but only if we don't have to cut Forsett to do it. Like Holmgren said, teams have to find a way to keep players like him.

He is a better Warrick Dunn

folks, the Duckett decision is a no-brainer. Why isn't anyone asking about Julius Jones? That guy looks like a zero thus far, and was signed as a starter. what does it say if Ruskell went out and signed two guys that are not better than the guys we already had? That doesn't exactly scream "upgrade."

Warrick Dunn would have been a perfect addition. Veteran leader who is a fantastic blocker and receiver.

FWIW, I wrote a post yesterday weighing the possibility of starting Forsett. He should at least be considered for that role because we can only go so far with Mo Morris as our starter.

I don't think the problem is solved if Forsett starts and doesn't do well. Not many teams do well against the San Diego front seven.

Also, Duckett is a Ruskell guy. Ruskell doesn't want to look bad by having him released. That makes him look bad for signing him.

However, Forsett is a Ruskell guy. He drafted him. Ruskell looks like a genius if Forsett does well.

So, I don't think we have to worry about keeping Duckett over Forsett just because he is a "Ruskell guy."

Hawkblogger,

I have no idea what you are talking about. I said months ago that TJ and JJ were no better than SA. I got blasted on this blog and the PI blog for those comments.

My father used to say, "You know the devil you got, but be very careful of the devil you get."

The jury is still out on JJ and I hope I'm eating cold crow by December but I fear I won't be eating crow at all this year.

I think Forsett sticks. I see too many similiarities to Barry Sanders with him. They can't let him go!

I thought Mike defended Duckett in response to Hugh's comments. He mentioned his Goal line plus 3rd and short abilities. He also praised Duckett's pass blocking. Item #2 above makes it seem as though Mike just shrugged his shoulders.

Mike's responses made it seem to me that Duckett is safe, but that is just how I heard it. Wasn't looking for a message in a message (i.e. Coachspeak ..)

I think TJ/Jones is a lot better than SA.

JJ can catch and block and at this stage in their careers, JJ is a better runner too. No way in hell would I take SA over JJ. JJ might not be a Pro Bowler, but at least he can catch and block.

SA is a heckofalot better than TJ though. TJ sucks.

From Holmgren's comments, Forsett seemed "safer" than Duckett to me...But we'll all know soon enough.

IDHawkman, didn't see a post months ago. 90%+ of the discussion I've seen in pre-season has not included JJ. This is a guy that was brought in to be our new starter, and has done nothing to distinguish himself. Yes, he has been an adequate blocker, but that's not really what I had in mind for a starting HB.

I admit I've been against both these guys from the start:

http://hawkblogger.blogspot.com/2008/03/from-bad-to-worse.html

http://hawkblogger.blogspot.com/2008/03/mo-morrismeet-your-seahawk-twin-julius.html

Comparing anyone to SA is a waste of time. Unless the player provides something that we don't already have, they are limited in value. JJ and Duckett are lesser versions of Mo and Weaver. They are a waste of roster space.

Forsett is not a godsend, but he offers a more complete package of skills than any of our other backs. Ruskell's ability to reshape a defense is proven. His results on the offensive side of the ball are FAR more mixed (and that's kind). Who is going to look out for that side of the ball once Holmgren moves on?

I'd say Forsett is more Joe Morris than Barry Sanders.

DSAhawker - "Technically didn't we invest a 3rd rounder into Babin when we traded 3rd round pick Boulware for him???? ;) "


Boulware was a second round pick.

Listening to the Holmgren interview, he acknowledged the fans excitment to Forsett and how they would react if the Hawks tried to sneak him thru Waivers. He also mentioned that Forsett had another "fan" in Holmgren's wife, Kathy!!

Unless Forsett fails miserably in SD and against OAK... enough to get the spotlight off him from other clubs, he's on the Team!

Go Hawks!!

rramstad - I absolutely agree with you. Let's use the Chargers game to actually find out how good Forsett is against a first-team defense. Also, before we cut Duckett, I'd like to see some sign that a backfield of Weaver & Schmitt/Kirtman can consistently convert short yardage situations. If for nothing else, the Chargers game should at least be used to clarify those couple of issues regarding our RBs.

NickHawk1 - regarding your predictions.... if Couto, Tapp, Heller & Morris all win starting spots on the roster as you predict, then what improvement do you think the team will have over last season in those positions? Couto - not better than Brown [OK, neither is Mare...], Tapp - starter last season, Heller - not good enough to start last season, Morris - not good enough to start last season... I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'd like to think that some of the new guys [i.e. Jackson, Carlson/Putzier & Jones] will be able to come in an provide an upgrade over the current incumbents...

Moot argument...Forsett is already the starting PR. No one else can handle the position, save for Burleson, who can't be risked. It would take a pretty awful day against SD for this to change.

Let's be real, Ruskell's efforts to replace the aging offense have been poor:

WR - This could be a disaster in the making if his young guys don't step up. And relying on young guys to step up is always dicey at WR. A 1st round pick for Branch is shaping up to be one of the worst trades in Seahawks history.
RB - Bringing in 2 castoffs from other teams, Julius Jones and Duckett leave a lot to be desired. Jones had a lot of criticism in Dallas and put up worse per carry yards than Shaun Alexander - behind a better line. Duckett changes teams more often than a Kicker.
FB - If Weaver can actually play the FB position rather than the HB position he wants, this can end up well. Otherwise.....
TE - Carlson is the big hope here. Jury still out.
LG - Enough has been said here
C - Chris Spencer isn't looking great here
RG - Rob Sims - see above

Without Hasselbeck and the typical soft schedule, it would be ugly.

drdiags is right: Mike did not damn Duckett. He said "the pile is very big" (not necessarily in front of him),but that he was good for short yardage AND 'he is a very good blocker.' So my take is that he was simply guarded; it is hard to read whether he wants Duckett here or not. Two more preseason games and I think no decision will be made before they are played. What if Duckett makes several short yardage plays, makes some good blocks and Forsett doesn't glitter, or gets stuffed repeatedly against a first team defense? Or Jones continues to show nothing?

pabuwal--I wouldnt classify Ruskell's offensive moves as poor: thats just not correct. While he waited too long to do anything about our aging line, and he lost the Ice Fisherman in the biggest blunder by a GM EVER, he has usually made the necessary moves to improve our offense yearly.

The Branch trade looked funky from the get-go, but remember, Branch has been injured. He was not injury prone before, so its just bad luck that he has shown so little, and not all Ruskell's fault. Its still a bad trade, because we gave up not only a 1st round pick, but HUGE money to a guy who is 5'-9" in heels. Branch cannot do a lot of things the WCO needs from its number 1 WR (slant route, jumping/leaping, taking balls away from DB's, post route inside the redzone, etc). He is a number 2 WR making #1 money. I dont blame him for trading a big pick for a starting WR--I just think he shouldnt have taken such a risk on a smurf.

He signed Burleson, which was fine, except again--he paid too much for him. Not enough production, to much pay. Burleson is another square peg being pounded into a round hole. He has never risen above third WR play, but this may FINALLY be his year. And where would we have been without his kick returns and 10 recieving TD's last year? He still grades out as a decent addition in my book at least. As good as Moss is, I would rather have Burleson. At least Burleson appreciates Seattle and his chance to play football.

The young WR's he has drafted all look pretty good. Obomanu may be odd man out due to his lack of speed, but Kent, Payne, and Taylor all look to be very good. And Kent offers crazy speed that we havent had since Galloway. Give them a chance. ALso, Bumpus is turning out to be a great free agent signing allready. Hope he doesnt get snatched up via waivers. And these guys were all cheap! I do wish we had drafted Limas Sweed or Eddie Royal, but hey...who's perfect?

Julius Jones was an odd choice, as he is just like Mo only two years younger. I dont think we really needed to sign such a high-priced body double. But in limited work, Jones has shown burst, toughness, and GREAT blitz pickup. And he can catch. Bringing him in sure has lit a fire under MO MO, though! Competition is never a bad thing...It still bothers me that we could have had Michael Turner for a little bit more money, and he is even younger than Jones. That guy is a stud!

The Duckett signing was wierd. They paid him so much more than they had to. It was like they just gave him whatever he asked for. And he really is a very high priced situational player. But, if he converts his third and shorts, it will have been worth it.

OWen Schmitt is going to be the best FB in the NFL in another year or two. That was one of the biggest steals of the Draft this decade. Wait and see. And Weaver may be better suited to the HB role, but hey--his blocking has improved and he is a fine free agent signing.

TE Jeb Putzier looks to be a very good pickup as well. Did you see him run that TD in?! Pretty quick, and he's tall as a tree too!

Im grumpy about Spencer and Sims too, but lets wait to scream too loud untill we see what Solari can do with them.

Overall, Ruskell has brought in either the best free agents available, or at least picked from the top few and chose the ones he feels will fit our team the best. And his drafting has been ok--like I said, drafting a WR higher would have been my only gripe with him. But his WR picks are poised to break out.

Any team would have a hard time without thier Pro Bowl qb, not just Seattle.

Just my opinion, I can understand your skepticism.

Good points about Schmitt and Forsett. The Seahawks have enjoyed very long runs of great RB/FB combos and this could be the latest (Warner/Williams, Warren/Strong, Alexander/Strong).

And you're right about the OL and WRs. This is their shot to step up. But given the uncertainty, it could be a long way down for the Seahawks if they don't.

Schmitt may be the greatest FB in the NFL in a few years. But, that's a pretty easy task when FBs in the NFL are going the way of 8-track tapes. Easy to be the best when you are the only one and with Weaver, and possibly Kirtman, the Hawks have three. Makes sense in the future Holmgren offense sans Holmgren.

Duckett was a mistake from day one. It was a panic move of ready, fire, aim to fix the run game. $4+ million guaranteed and they could have picked up a number of others for the minimum - one example Davenport (essentially the same player as Duckett stat-wise).

chawkbob... I respectfully disagree regarding Duckett. Weaver and Schmidt are roughly the same weight... and hit the hole MUCH FASTER than Ducket.

Alexander, in his prime, was phenomenal at sniffing the goal line/first down. However, with almost any other back, you want them going as hard and as fast as possible to the assigned hole, which is usually between guard and center.

Youtube Schmidt at WV and see how fast and powerful he hits the hole. And think he can do every bit as much as Duckett.

And has anyone else noticed how high/top heavy Duckett runs? He's almost straight up and down. That'll take about 1 game tape for teams to see, and they'll just chop him down at the legs, ala Babineaux versus Romo. Chase him down, cut him.

Lastly, from what I've seen, who thinks Forsett just can't do the job? What he lacks in size he more than makes up for in speed and power. Leverage is the name of the game in football; low man wins. Forsett's center of gravity is at most of our knee caps! :- ) He'll win more often than not. THanks.

HAWKBLOGGER - I agree 100% about Ruskell and the offense. Who can honestly say he's upgraded, OR EVEN KEPT AT PAR, the offense?

Most of the quality players he's inherited... Hasslebeck, Engram, Jones, and Locklear.

His acquistions have been poor, at best. (And NO, you can NOT include Wahle as an acquistion... and NEVER should have been needed. He already had the best left guard in the game, other than Faneca, and let him walk.)

Branch: Total bust. Burleson: Total bust. (And don't included his special teams... he's BEING PAID to be a #1 receiver; they both are.)

Draft picks? Not much better. Spencer: a bust. He was a mid-1st round pick WHO HAD 2 YEARS of training behind Tobeck... and STILL has problems with line calls, and can't stay healthy. Frankly, it sounds like he's not very bright.

And there aren't any other major (top 2 rounds) draft picks on the offense from his tenure.

He's done great on defense, but his offensive rebuilding AND HIS 1st round draft picks are skeptical, at best.

I do like the Jones pick up... he's willing to block and can catch. Plus, it was predictable what we were going to do with Alexander in the backfield. While Jones is NOTHING CLOSE to Ricky Watters (who should be in the HOF, in my book), at least he opens up the playbook like when Watters was here. Any combination of Jones, Weaver, Morris and Forsett in the backfield really opens up the playbook... this is good.

Duckett? I'm thinking he had some compromising pictures of Ruskell and some intern, or something. Don't get this at all. Thanks.

holmy has the option to PuP branch which means 6 weeks till the decision needs to be made. branch wouldn't get to play till week 8 i believe but would give more time to make the decision about forsett/duckett and still allow him to keep all the young recievers too. During the 6 weeks of PUP everyone would have the thought of who gets cut in week 6 when branch comes back to practice. i figure 2 weeks practice before he is ready to play games. Not the best case senario but always an option to consider.

What Bobby K said.

goneshootin, you say you disagree with what I said but then you went on to make a bunch of points that do not at all run counter to anything that I said ... just what doe you disagree with?

*edit* um, "do" you disagree with ...

c_hawkbob: "it would seem to me that keeping Forsett, Morris and Jones would give us trio of very similar backs. Duckett may be a one-trick pony, but his one trick is one that the other three contenders don't have in their arsenal"

I don't think Duckett even has this trick. No way will he move a pile if the line collapses. I think Hugh Millen was giving him credit/being generous by describing him as a one trick pony. From what I've seen, he runs vertical, which does no good when trying to get through the wall. Frankly, I think with Forsett's power and low center of gravity, he'll be superior to Duckett in short yardage... PROVIDED the fullback clears a path.

Why didn't you just say that in the first place? Forsett as a short yardage option is an interesting proposition and one worthy of some discussion (though I'd like to see him used in that situation against first team talent before I'd be so bold as to predict him as a better candidate than anyone else we have, I still prefer my suggestion of Weaver following Schmitt at this point).

You won't get me to defend Duckett, I decried his signing when it happened and haven't seen anything to justify our investment in him yet, if you read my full post you'll see that I was merely commenting that I found it interesting that Frank saw it as being between Forsett and Duckett as to who might get cut.

Frankly I'm glad to see Duckett being viewed as expendable.

I scratched my head at the Duckett signing at the time and I'm still confused about it. It didn't make sense with Weaver and Kirtman on the roster and with the addition of Schmitt in the draft, it looks even stranger.

The Seahawks' struggles on third- and fourth-and-short last year were due to two factors: 1) SA just wasn't the player he was in 2005; and 2) Hutch playing for another team.

Mo's looking like a running back I haven't seen before -- a massive improvement -- and JJ is everything I expected and then some. Imagine! A running back who catches passes and picks up the blitz. And JJ doesn't just pick it up, he PUNISHES the blitzer. And when he breaks loose? The Hawks' RB coach said it best: JJ's a "violent runner." He's still learning a very complex offense, but I love what I've seen of JJ so far. Great pick-up!

Holmy has called Wahle the year's "best free-agent acquisition" and I agree 100%. So that means we have even less need for Duckett, because this year there'll actually be HOLES for the RBs to run through on the left side.

Duckett vs Forsett is a no-brainer from a football perspective. The question is whether or not Ruskell's ego will let him "eat" a wasted $4 million payout on someone who gets cut...or maybe traded, with the Hawks paying some or most of the dough.

I hope Ruskell makes the decision based on football instead of his ego. Duckett was a pickup for a need we no longer have.

By the way, GREAT reportage the last couple days Frank! You ROCK, buddy! Thank you!