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.

=> Read more!

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.

=> Read more!

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.

=> Read more!