Tampa, Fla. – Former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Cortez Kennedy will have to wait another year for another opportunity next year to be selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kennedy did not make the first reduction of the 15 finalists for induction, when the list was reduced down to 10.

Ex-Seahawk John Randle also did not make the final cut, getting eliminated as the selection committee reduced its list to the final five.

Heading to Canton are career sacks leader Bruce Smith, defensive back Rod Woodson Bills owner Ralph Wilson, the late Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas, former Minnesota and Tampa Bay guard Randall McDaniel and the late Bob Hayes, an elective wideout for Dallas and the 1964 Olympic 100 meters gold medalist.

Inductions will be held on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio. The six-member class brings the total numbers of Hall of Fame members to 253.

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Tennessee Titan defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, set to become an unrestricted free agent when the free agent period begins Feb. 27, is a boat fan, and would like nothing more than to get some free time on Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen’s yacht, Octopus.

The super yacht measures 414 feet, costs over $200 million and has a permanent crew of 60.

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I just got back from NFL Commissoner Roger Goodell’s state of the league meeting today and will have a wrap-up of some of the issues discussed during the hourlong question-and-answer session. For now, I’ll provide some links from some of the things I found interesting happening around the league.

Here are my two stories in today’s sports section, a feature on Arizona Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who victimized Seattle for three picks during the season, and a profile on ex-Husky cornerback Ray Horton, now going for his third Super Bowl ring as a defensive backs coach for the Steelers.

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Former University of Washington standout receiver Reggie Williams likely will become an unrestricted free agent with the Feb. 27 free agent deadline approaching, and he’s considering his options of where he would like to play next season.

Williams said he has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out and test the market at end of this season.

And one of his desired destinations could be Seattle.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck does an interview on press row at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla. on Thursday.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck surfed through the sea of bodies in radio row at Super Bowl XLIII Thursday afternoon in Tampa, looking a bit tired after doing several radio spots for his clients the past two days.

However, Hasselbeck took a break to talk about the transition from Mike Holmgren to new head coach Jim Mora, and seemed energized by the coaching change.

Hasselbeck said he’s healthy after dealing with a bulging disk in his back that forced him to miss nine games last season, and that he’ll soon begin to lift weights to begin the process of regaining the strength he lost from the injury. Also signs point to Hasselbeck being ready to return to the field, but he still needs to receive final clearance from Los Angeles-based Dr. Bob Watkins.

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Pittsburgh cornerback and UW product Roy Lewis films a cameraman during media day for Super Bowl XLIII on Tuesday in this AP photo by Charlie Riedel.

He’s one of he few, recent University of Washington products to make the next step to the NFL, but it appears cornerback Roy Lewis has found a home with Pittsburgh.

Lewis was signed as an undrafted free agent and was invited to the Steelers training camp in August of last year. The Pittsburgh coaching staff liked the hard-hitting Lewis and his ability to play both corner and safety, so Lewis stuck with the team, getting assigned to the team’s practice squad.

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The reporter's question caused usually forthcoming Arizona defensive lineman Darnell Dockett to pause, gathering his thoughts before responding.

What was his opinion of team owner Bill Bidwill, and did he believe the owner of the Cardinals, known for his thrifty ways, would deal with the eventual fallout of trying to keep the franchise competitive now that they have a team in the Super Bowl?

“I don’t know,” Dockett said. “Everybody’s got their opinion of them. Me personally, I hope that reputation changes. And that reputation has to change from within.

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I made the rounds today as more reporters and players arrived in Tampa. I apologize to the folks who wanted prior warning on when Matt Hasselbeck would arrive, but I was not privy to that information myself and just found out this afternoon. From what I understand Matt is in town doing some promotions for EAS Sports drinks.

Hasselbeck was on Sirius Radio, ESPN and the NFL network today.

Here’s Hasselbeck on the NFL Network in this video link.

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Here's some links to check out before I head of to the Pittsburgh interview session.

Here's my story from Tampa. I caught up with ex-Seahawks Jerheme Urban and Chike Okeafor.

The TNT's Dave Boling says the Seahawks must focus on getting healthy and rebuild the team in Jim Mora's image in order to return to the Super Bowl.

Ex-Seahawks defensive coordinator John Marshall will interview for the Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator position vacated when Rob Ryan left to join the Cleveland Browns, according to this report.

ESPN's John Clayton talked with KJR's Dave "Softy" Mahler about Super Bowl happenings in this audio link.

ESPN's Mike Sando joined KJR's Ian Furness to discuss Super Bowl stuff in this audio link.

Rob Rang of nfldraftscout.com has the Seahawks taking Michael Crabtree in his updated draft.

Tampa, Fla. – Larry Fitzgerald Sr.’s recorder was ready. But nearly 40 minutes had past, and he hadn’t pushed the record button since the media availability started for the Pittsburgh Steelers interview session at Super Bowl XLII Tuesday afternoon.

A longtime reporter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, a black-owned, weekly newspaper that’s served the community for 75 years, Fitzgerald has covered 28 Super Bowls. However, now the older Fitzgerald has become what most journalists try to avoid – he’s the story.

But it’s easy to understand why reporters were clamoring for Fitzgerald attention, with his son, Larry Fitzgerald, the star receiver for the Arizona Cardinals and one of the players most likely to impact the game on Sunday.

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A student of martial arts who dabbles in alternative medicine, former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Chike Okeafor says he's on to other things now since his playing days in Seattle.

"You can't always train the same way," Okeafor said during the Arizona Cardinals media session at Super Bowl XLIII here in Tampa. "You've got to shock the body and reinvent yourself.

"You know what? Honestly I can't even break out all of my secrets of the trade, I guess. So maybe when I retire I'll write a book about them."

Okeafor has reinvented himself on the football field, and has been a successful cog in Arizona's revamped defense. The 32-year-old finished with 60 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the Cardinals during the regular season.

He left for Arizona the same season (2005) the Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl, so he didn't get a chance to play in the game with Seattle. He's says he's moved on since his time with the Seahawks.

"I'm not a 'I told you so,' and 'this and that' (kind of guy)," Okeafor said about his departure from Seattle. "Those things seem to work themselves out. I just play the game like a kid at recess, for the love of the game."

I also caught up with former Seahawks wide receiver Jerheme Urban, who said his years in Seattle helped make him into the receiver he is now. You can listen to my conversation with Urban in this audio link.

Warren Moon is down here doing some radio work as well. I asked him for his prediction, and he said Steelers 24-23, but he wouldn't be surprised if Arizona wins.

That's all for now.

We’re in Day 2 of the Super Bowl, which includes on-the-field availability with every player on the two teams, and usually brings some interesting questions from the media. It should be an interesting day, and I’ll have reports from both camps after the interview sessions are over.

However, here’s some stuff to chew on while the interview sessions are going on.

I caught up with Rob Rang from nfldraftscout.com last night and got his assessment on some of the players who performed well at the Senior Bowl last week. As always, Rang offered a treasure trove of information on these athletes.

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With both press conferences for Pittsburgh and Arizona finished, most of us print guys are hammering at our keyboards in the media room, trying to meet our deadlines for tomorrow's paper.

But I wanted to take a break to give you my thoughts on today's press conference.

Pittsburgh had its briefing first, and I was very impressed with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. When you hear him speak, it's hard to believe he's only 34 years old. He speaks with a commanding voice and seems very comfortable talking in front of the press corps.

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It looks like the Seattle Seahawks and linebacker Leroy Hill have begun to try and repair the damage done to Hill's reputation when he was found passed out behind the wheel of a car in a major intersection of Atlanta at 4 a.m. Saturday morning.

Hill released this statement through the team today after his Saturday morning incident in Atlanta where he was arrested for a misdemeanor marijuana possession.

“I want to apologize to my family, my teammates, the Seahawks organization and fans. I am embarrassed by the incident Saturday morning and the poor judgment I showed. Please understand my actions were not consistent with the type of person I hope to become.”

Seattle team president Tim Ruskell also released a statement through the team's public relations staff.

“Any time anybody in our family gets in trouble or gets arrested, it feels like a punch in the gut. We are a team always striving for good, consistent character, so it is disappointing when something like this happens. However, we will never stop trying to be better.”

With both Hill and Ruskell stepping forward like this, it would seem that the two sides have started to mend fences and move forward. It will be interesting to see how this affects Hill's impending free agency, and if Ruskell is still willing to use the franchise tag to keep Hill around.

Good morning. Thanks to our columnist Dave Boling going on injured reserve I’m filling in for him here in Tampa Bay this week and covering the Super Bowl.

I’ll have regular reports throughout the day on the happenings during Super Bowl XLIII, including interviews from former players and other people of note that I bump into.

So far I’ve seen ex-players Michael Irvin and Randy Cross making the rounds in the media room. I’ll try to catch up with a few ex-players and get their perspective on this week’s game, along with their take on the Seahawks transition with Jim Mora now leading the team on the field.

Let me know what other coverage you’d like to see during the week and I’ll do my best to accommodate your request. Let’s get to the links.

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Here's my story for Sunday.

BY ERIC D. WILLIAMS
Eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with marijuana possession in an Atlanta suburb after police there found the Seahawks linebacker passed out behind the wheel, authorities from the Douglas County Sheriffs told the Associated Press.

Police found Hill passed out behind the wheel at about 4 a.m. on Saturday at a major intersection in suburban Atlanta.

Douglas County Sheriff Sgt. Dwayne Taylor said officers found less than one ounce of marijuana in the vehicle. A court date has not yet been set, and Hill was released after posting a $1,500 bond. Officials did not know if he has an attorney.

“He was at an intersection passed out behind the wheel,” Taylor told ESPN. “The deputies conducted an investigation and found two bags of marijuana in the car.”

A spokesman for the Seattle Seahawks declined to comment on the matter.

Hill also was cited for having a faulty taillight, according to an ESPN report. Taylor told ESPN that Hill was not tested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

At the end of February Hill, 26, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and should be the team’s most sought after player in free agency.

Drafted by Seattle in the third round of the 2005 draft, Hill has started for Seattle since his rookie season, totaling 50 regular-season games in four seasons for the Seahawks.

Hill finished with 84 tackles in 12 games – which led the team at the time -- but missed the final four games of the season with a pinched nerve in his neck.
Seattle Seahawks team president and general manager Tim Ruskell, who puts a premium on bringing in players with good character, said during a recent interview that the team will make Hill a priority in free agency. However, this recent event could reshape Ruskell’s opinion.

“All options will be open,” Ruskell said. “Obviously we are starting talks again with his agent. Our priority is to have him back on the football team.”

ESPN's Mike Sando is reporting that Seattle Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested and will face a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession after police in Douglas County, a suburb of Atlanta, found Hill passed out behind the wheel of a car early Saturday morning.

Hill becomes a free agent at the end of February and is looking to sign a lucrative deal.

I'll have more details later.

He’s a big cornerback who can play physical, press coverage and makes sure tackles close to the line of scrimmage.

He can run fast enough to keep up with a fleet-footed receiver. His 11 career interceptions – two returned for touchdowns -- and 17 pass deflections show his good ball skills.

And by all appearances he’s a good citizen, a necessity for Seattle president and general manager Tim Ruskell to put you on his squad.

So what’s not to like about Ohio State cornerback Malcom Jenkins? Not much, particularly after you watch his highlight video. The talented corner will likely be available if Seattle holds onto its No. 4 overall pick, and the ability to draft a lock-down corner to pair with Marcus Trufant may prove too tough to pass up.

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First reported by the National Football Post and later confirmed by team sources, the Seattle Seahawks hive hired Tim Lewis as the team's new defensive backs coach, filling the final vacancy on Jim Mora's coaching staff.

Lewis spent 2008 as the defensive backs coach for the Carolina Panthers. Before that, Lewis served as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants for three seasons.

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With the top college seniors competing in the annual Senior Bowl this Saturday, for the first time in several years Seattle’s coaching staff will have a chance to focus on the cream of the crop.

The Seahawks haven’t drafted in the Top 10 since picking receiver Koren Robinson with the ninth overall choice in the 2001 draft, so Seattle team president and general manager Tim Ruskell said the team’s scouting department is looking forward to an opportunity to evaluate the top athletes.

“It really invigorates the scouts,” Ruskell said. “So many times they like to scout the top players because they are the ones making all the plays and are on ESPN. We usually say, ‘Let’s forget about those guys,’ and give them a list of guys we wanted them to concentrate on.

“But it invigorates the personnel staff and makes us work harder to know everything because the stakes are higher and the dollars are higher.”

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The Arizona Cardinals continued their Cinderella postseason run by outlasting Philadelphia 32-25 for the Cardinals first trip to the Super Bowl.

And Pittsburgh now has an opportunity to win a NFL-record sixth Lombardi trophy after defeating Baltimore, 23-14.

The line is already out, and, of course, Arizona is a 6 1/2 point underdog.

It should be an good matchup, particularly with the way Arizona is playing offensively. Larry Fitzgerald is unstoppable right now, and with Anquan Boldin getting two weeks to rest a sore hamstring, watch out.

But if anybody can rattle Kurt Warner and Co., it's the Steelers' defense.

I don't know about you, but I'm still a bit shocked that the Cardinals are going to the big game. Don't get me wrong, they're a good team that got hot at the right time and deserve to be going to Tampa Bay.

But in the two games I watched them play against Seattle they looked like a solid team with some weaknesses that could be exploited, and certainly not like a team headed to the Super Bowl. I guess if you're a Seattle fan, Arizona's success should provide hope that the Seahawks can get things turned around quickly beginning next season.

Two more NFL teams hired head coaches today. The St. Louis Rams appeared to have completed their search for a head coach, with N.Y. Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo hired to lead the Rams, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

And in Tampa Bay, a day after firing head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen, the Bucs have settled on hot coaching candidate Raheem Norris as Tampa Bays' head coach, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Morris, 32, has never been a head coach and never has been a defensive coordinator since the Bucs gave him the job after Monte Kiffin moved to Tennessee to coach with his son.

With Spagnuolo now in the fold, the NFC West has all defensive coaches leading teams in the division except for Arizona, which may lead to some lower scores and even more conservative play next season.

ESPN's Mike Sando talks about how Spagnuolo could get things turned around quickly in St. Louis.

I talked to Rob Rang, senior draft analyst with nfldraftscout.com after the deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft passed on Thursday to get his thoughts on what he believes Seattle’s options are heading into the draft. As always, Rang had some interesting things to say.

You can view Rang’s mock draft here. And you can view Chris Steubers’ mock draft from Scout.com here.

Rang said the number of underclassmen choosing to stay in school was a surprise, particularly because the NFL’s draft evaluation committee had almost twice the number of requests it usually gets this season. It had been anticipated that as many as 80 underclassmen would declare for the draft, but right now that number is around 50.

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Surprising news coming out of Tampa Bay this afternoon, where they fired head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

The timing, it would seem, couldn't be any worse, with most teams like St. Louis, the Jets and Denver finishing up coaching searches and getting ready to bring guys on.

The Bucs were 9-3 at one point, but finished up losing their last four games and missed the playoffs. Gruden has been successful at Tampa Bay, bringing home the team's only Super Bowl title. But with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin moving on, team owners the Glazer family must have figured it was time to move in a different direction.

The Tribune reports coaching candidates available include former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and retired Colts coach Tony Dungy.

With the last minutes ticking down on the deadline to declare for this year's NFL draft, a few players still have not made decisions while others have decided to make themselves available for the draft.

You can find the entire list of underclassman who have declared here. Scout.com's Chris Stueber has compiled a list and is updating it regularly with new announcements.

There's a little over 40 players on the list so far, well under the projected 70 or so that many draft experts expected.

USC quarterback Matt Sanchez and Florida receiver Percy Harvin are the biggest names to declare today. Harvin's teammate, All-American Brandon Spikes, decided to return for his senior season, joining teammate quarterback Tim Tebow.

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ESPN's Joe Schad is reporting that Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford will announce this afternoon that he will return next season to play for the Sooners and not enter this year's NFL draft.

It's a curious choice for Bradford, who after winning the Heisman Trophy this season seems to be peaking in terms of name recognition.

Many drafts have the Kansas City Chiefs pegged to take Bradford with the No. 3 overall pick as the team's quarterback of the future, so Bradford's decision could have an affect on whether or not Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree is available for Seattle to select with the team's No. 4 overall pick.

Some links to chew on this morning as we head into the lunch hour.

Seattle Seahawks

Here’s my story from Tuesday’s press conference, with Jim Mora taking over the big chair formerly reserved for Mike Holmgren as the Seattle Seahawks new head coach.

TNT columnist John McGrath delves into Mora’s background, which includes a weekly climb every Friday morning up Tiger Mountain.

ESPN’s Mike Sando says the Arizona Cardinals would like to create a similar home-field advantage the Seahawks already enjoy at Qwest Field.

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Here's the full transcript of the Jim Mora press conference, courtesy of the Seahawks public relations staff.

If your question wasn't answered, don't worry. There will be more opportunities in a more informal setting for follow ups.

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The Seahawks announced that Julian Peterson has been named as an injury replacement for Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks. The trip to Hawaii will be Peterson’s fifth overall pro bowl appearance, and third straight with Seattle.

New Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora made a favorable impression in his first press conference as the team’s head coach.

Mora paid tribute to Mike Holmgren, the man whose footsteps he’s following in, saying he learned patience in how to deal with the tough decisions and answering tough questions from observing Holmgren the last two seasons.

Mora, who was hired as Seattle’s coach-in-waiting last year, also acknowledged the courting of other teams and programs, including the University of Washington, for his services while he served as defensive backs coach for Seattle.

“Over the past two years I have had other opportunities to become a head football coach,” Mora said. “But what is important to me is not being a head football coach, but being a successful head football coach. And the past two years have been an incredible opportunity personally to learn from one of the all-time greats.”

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Fox Sports Northwest will air Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora’s first press conference live at 11 a.m. on Tuesday from the team’s headquarters in Renton. FSN will replay the press conference at 6:30 and 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

Also, the Seahawks officially announced the hiring of Casey Bradley as the team’s defensive coordinator and Dan Quinn as Seattle’s new assistant head coach and defensive line coach.

Here are some other links to check out today.

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With the way the Arizona Cardinals finished the season no one around the league would have thought they would be playing for a chance to play in the Super Bowl.

But here they are, after pounding the Panthers 33-13 in Carolina.

The Cardinals look like a different team since beating the Seahawks at home in the last game of the season. Here’s three reasons for the team’s turnaround.

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The Seattle Seahawks hired Casey Bradley as the team's new defensive coordinator and Dan Quinn as the defensive line/assistant head coach, according to team sources.

The deals for the two coaches will not be final until Monday.

The Tampa Tribune also is reporting the Bradley is off to Seattle.

"They offered me the job and I accepted," Bradley told The Tribune. "I signed the contract a little while ago."

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Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Seattle Seahawks are no longer interested in Rod Marinelli's services, and that the ex-Detroit Lions coach will choose between defensive line coaching positions in Chicago and Houston.

Marinelli had interviewed with Seattle this week and was being considered for the defensive coordinator position. That choice appears to have been narrowed down to two people, Casey "Gus" Bradley, the linebackers coach for Tampa Bay, and Cleveland defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. The Seahawks interviewed Tucker today. An earlier report had Seattle hiring Bradley, but team sources said the report was premature.

The honors continue to roll in for Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Walter Jones. Despite missing the last four games of the season to have microfracture knee surgery, Jones was selected to the Associated Press, 2008 All-Pro team. Jones has been selected to the first team four times in his 12-year career.

Here's the full transcript of the Seattle Seahawks president Tim Ruskell's conversation with reporters this afternoon, courtesy of the team's public relations staff. It's pretty long, but certainly worth a read and hopefully will answer many of the questions some of you have had over the last several months.

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Seattle team president and general manager Tim Ruskell took questions from reporters this afternoon at the team's practice facility. Ruskell was honest in addressing a wide range of topics during the 45-minute conversation. I'll offer a couple of tidbits here and follow up later with the full transcription of the conversation.

Ruskell said keeping Leroy Hill is a high priority, and will consider all options in keeping the free agent linebacker, including the franchise tag.

Ruskell characterized the transition from last season to next season as more of a tweaking than an overhaul, and believes Seattle has the majority of the talent in place to compete for an NFL title. Like Holmgren, he said the main reason for the team's slide in 2008 was the rash of injuries the Seahawks experienced. However, he said during exit interviews that the players said they also share the blame for the team's demise, and understand that injuries weren't the only issue.

But Ruskell believes with an attitude change and renewed enthusiasm, along with an infusion of young talent, Seattle could be right in the thick of things again, similar to what happened with Miami and Atlanta this season.

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For a coach recently fired after leading his team to a 0-16 record, ex-Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli sure is getting a lot of attention in the offseason.

Marinelli will interview with a third team today, this time for a spot as the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

Marinelli already interviewed for a defensive line coaching gig in Chicago last week, and was in Seattle on Monday to talk about the Seahawks defensive coordinator position.

It's certainly expected that with Greg Knapp in the fold as offensive coordinator the Seattle Seahawks will be more committed to establishing a running game.

However, I don’t think the Seahawks will be returning to the days of Ground Chuck when Curt Warner had it going in the 1980s.

The reason Knapp-led offenses ran the ball so much in Atlanta is because the passing game was inconsistent with Michael Vick learning a new offense. The same can be said about JaMarcus Russell in Oakland. Both of those players were young quarterbacks trying to adjust to the intricacies of a pro-style offense.

If you're looking for what kind of offensive production the Seahawks might have in 2009, I would take a look at the San Francisco 49ers numbers from 2001 to 2003 when Knapp was the offensive coordinator there.

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Scout.com is reporting the Seattle Seahawks signed receiver Mike Hass to a two-year deal this afternoon. Hass was with the Chicago Bears last season and was cut at the end of training camp.

Reportedly, the Seahawks and Giants were interested in the former Oregon State receiver's services. Hass was a sixth-round pick by New Orleans in 2006.

In his first major hire as head coach, Jim Mora tabs Greg Knapp as Seattle's new offensive coordinator. The move was first reported by the NFL Network, and later confirmed by team sources. Knapp worked as Mora's offensive coordinator in Atlanta, and it's been speculated he would be Mora's offensive guy for awhile now.

Matt Hasselbeck and the rest of Seattle's offense will have a new system to learn during the offseason, and it will be interesting to see how the players pick up the new scheme. It's been speculated that Seattle will run the ball more in 2009, and that seems to be Knapp's style from his time in Atlanta and Oakland.

The Falcons led the NFL in rushing in 2005, averaging 159.1 yards a contest with a 1,000-yard rusher and three Pro Bowlers on offense.

However, Oakland head coach Tom Cable did take away the play-calling duties from Knapp during the season while Knapp was with the Raiders, so it will be interesting to see how that shakes out in Seattle, although I would expect Knapp to be the guy calling the plays.

There still has been no word as to the status of former offensive coordinator Gil Haskell, along with defensive coordinator John Marshall or the rest of the coaching staff left over from last season. Haskell has been rumored to be retiring. However, that has not been confirmed, and we should know more about the future of the rest of the staff by late this week early next week.

Also, Mora will address the media on Tuesday

Pro Football Talk is reporting the Cleveland defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has received permission to talk to the Seattle Seahawks about the possibility of becoming Seattle's defensive coordinator.

Tucker was considered for the vacant Browns head coaching job, but it appears the recently fired New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini.

Another sleeper could enter the Seattle Seahawks coaching search for an offensive coordinator by the end of this week – Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski.

The Boston Herald is reporting Jagodinski interviewed for the New York Jets head coaching positions today, against the wishes of B.C. athletic director Gene DeFilippo, and will likely be fired from his head coaching gig with the Eagles.

How does this relate to the Seahawks? Jagodinski is a long shot to win the job with the Jets, but reportedly wants back in the NFL and has ties to both Matt Hasselbeck and Jim Mora. Jagodinski coached Hasselbeck during his first stint at Boston College, serving as the offensive coordinator. And he also worked as a tight ends coach and offensive line coach for Mora when he coached at Atlanta.

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The NFL network is reporting that the Seahawks have asked for permission to talk to New England special teams coach Brad Seely.

Seely joined the Patriots as special teams coach in 1999 and has won three Super Bowls with the team.

Seattle's interest in Seely perhaps signals the end of special teams coach Bruce DeHaven's tenure with the Seahawks. After a shaky start against Buffalo, Seattle's special teams actually performed well during the later stages of the season, with Josh Wilson doing a solid job in returns and Olindo Mare having a solid year in both kickoffs and field goal percentage. I'm not sure if Jim Mora is dissatisfied with DeHaven's performance or just looking for a better personality fit.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Chicago Bears have made Rod Marinelli an offer to coach the defensive line. Marinelli interviewed with head coach Lovie Smith on Friday, and was in Seattle to discuss the defensive coordinator position on Monday.

Some questions have been piling up over the last few days so I thought I would take some time this morning to attempt to answer some of them.

Q: Hawks51 asks what I think of the Seahawks taking Taylor Mays with the 4th pick, or is that too early for him to go?

A: I think Mays is a great athlete and will be a high-impact player at the next level. But taking him No. 4 is probably too high, and I think Seattle has more pressing needs on both offensive and defensive line and at receiver.

Seattle could trade down to 10 or 11 and grab Mays, which would be a great place to get him. He could certainly help Seattle’s defense with his range and ability to come up and deliver blows in the running game. But if Seattle were to trade down someone like defensive tackle like Boston College’s B.J. Raji might make more sense.

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It appears Seahawks president Tim Ruskell will continue to stick with his Tampa Bay ties, as Tampa Bay Linebackers coach Casey "Gus" Bradley is reportedly going to interview for the defensive coordinator position with Seattle on Tuesday, the Tampa Tribune is reporting.

Bradley coached linebacker at Tampa Bay for three seasons. Before that, he coached at North Dakota State for 10 seasons, serving time as the team's defensive coordinator. Bradley does not have a contract with Tampa Bay for next season.

No word yet on how the team's interview with Rod Marinelli went today, or how many coaches will be retained from the current coaching staff. Although it appears John Marshall will not be back since the Seahawks are reportedly interviewing candidates for his job.

Recently fired Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli reportedly is in town to interview for the defensive coordinator position for the Seattle Seahawks, according to a report by KCPQ 13.

Another story from the NFL Network reports that Marinelli had been in contact with Seattle's brass about coaching for the Seahawks.

Team sources would not confirmed Marinelli is in the Seattle area, but it is believed the Seahawks are interested in adding Marinelli to the team's coaching staff.

Marinelli has connections with Seahawks team president Tim Ruskell and the team's vice president of player personnel Ruston Webster from his days of coaching defensive line at Tampa Bay. He coached Tampa Bay's defensive line for 10 seasons, the last four as the team's assistant head coach.

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The Arizona Cardinals finished off the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 for the team's first playoff home victory in 61 years. Many NFL observers thought the Falcons would beat Arizona in this one, but the Cardinals forced four turnovers and used trademark big plays offensively to take control of the game.

So can the Seahawks supplant Arizona next season as leaders of the NFC West? Or are the Cardinals here to stay?

With the imposing figure of Mike Holmgren now headed to Arizona to begin his yearlong sabbatical, Seahawks president and GM Tim Ruskell is now the man in charge, writes our own Dave Boling. Ruskell now emerges from Holmgren’s long shadow, and his decisions will get even more scrutiny moving forward as Seattle tries to right the ship after a 4-12 season.

Boling points out Ruskell’s good decisions (drafting Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill and Brandon Mebane; finding Leonard Weaver; and signing key role players receiver Joe Jurevicius and defensive tackle Chuck Darby for the team’s Super Bowl run). And he also notes some not-so good decisions (the Steve Hutchinson fiasco; the Deion Branch trade, at least so for; first-round draft picks Chris Spencer and Kelly Jennings).

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Happy New Year! If you’re already up this morning you might want to flip over to ESPN and catch a couple of NFL draft prospects. Iowa is playing South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

The main guy for the Hawkeyes is Doak Walker winner Shonn Greene, a powerful, bruising runner that the Seahawks could take a look at in the second around if the junior decides to declare for the draft. And South Carolina has one of the best linebackers in the nation in Eric Norwood, who led the SEC in sacks with nine.

I’ll be back a little bit later with some draft prospects in the other bowl games.