The Seattle Seahawks and linebacker Leroy Hill have agreed to terms to a multi-year deal, the team announced this afternoon.

Hill, Seattle’s second of two third round picks (98th overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft, has started 50 of 56 career games, totaling 321 tackles (237 solo), 13.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his career.

It appears the Seattle Seahawks strategy of rescinding the franchise tag on Hill in order to speed up negotiations with the 26-year-old linebacker paid off.

In an interview with KJR-AM’s Mitch Levy this morning, Seattle head coach Jim Mora said he felt a deal with Hill was just a matter of time.

"My belief in talking to Leroy as much as I have is that he’ll be wearing a Seattle Seahawk uniform next year," Mora said. "I feel very confident of that.”

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Seahawks insider reader Tyler Welch was kind enough to provide an updated roster for the Seahawks in this excel spreadsheet, which includes the additions of Seattle's rookies through the draft and free agency, along with free agent pick-ups.

The Seahawks currently are capped at 80 players on the roster now, but that includes reserving a spot for unrestricted free agent Leroy Hill. Enjoy, and thanks again Tyler.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney had surgery on his left elbow on Tuesday in Seattle to remove bone chips. Team sources characterized the surgery as maintenance cleanup. Kerney is still expected to be ready in time for training camp in July.

KING-5 first reported the story.

Kerney had season-ending, shoulder surgery in 2008, missing the last nine games of the year. Kerney’s had two major shoulder surgeries in less than a year, tearing the labrum in his left shoulder for the second time since signing with the Seahawks.

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NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang gives Seattle an A in his post-draft rankings on CBS Sports.

Here’s an excerpt.

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With the draft now over I finally had a chance to update our Seahawks mock draft results. And we have a winner.

Schlede was the only contestant to get two of Seattle's seven picks right, correctly picking Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry's selection in the first round, and then also predicting Oregon defensive end Nick Reed's selection in the seventh round.

Others who got one pick right include: Eric Williams (Aaron Curry), Dougula (Curry), Fuzzman55 (Max Unger), Seahawklovertoo (Unger), Brosco13 (Unger), JacDG (Unger) and CamanoIslandJQ (Deon Butler).

Thanks for all who participated. And Schede email me privately so I can get a prize pack.

Check out the final results here.

The wheels continued to turn in Renton for the Seattle Seahawks today, as they announced the signing of two veterans they were rumored to be interested in, with former Seahawk Ken Lucas and ex-Oakland Raiders fullback Justin Griffith signing with the team.

Terms of their agreements were not disclosed.

What this means for the status of linebacker Leroy Hill remains to be seen. Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell maintained at today's press conference for linebacker Aaron Curry that the two sides are still negotiating. But you would have to think the money is drying up with these two signing and the rookie draft class yet to be signed.

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Seattle’s newest addition linebacker Aaron Curry was just as impressive during interviews this morning as he was at the NFL Scouting Combine back in February.

He was relaxed and approachable in answering questions, let still presented himself strongly and with confidence in answering questions from reporters. In listening to Curry talk you can understand whey GM Tim Ruskell and the rest of the staff were excited about getting Curry, and why he is a good match for the team.

Curry’s a small-town, community-oriented guy who lets his play do the talking.

Ruskell also addressed the Leroy Hill situation, stating that the two sides are continuing negotiations and that the franchise’s goal remains to keep Hill in the fold.

Listen to a snippet of our conversation with Curry here.

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Here's a video clip from our discussion with Seattle Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell on the team rescinding the franchise tag from linebacker Leroy Hill.

As reported earlier, Ruskell said the team made the move in large part because they drafted linebacker Aaron Curry, and along with the rest of the rookies they drafted and free agents they signed, the need the cap room for flexibility.

However, Ruskell did say the team is still negotiating with Hill, and that the 26-year-old linebacker indicated through a conversation with Mora that Hill still wants to remain a Seahawk.

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Here's the list of free agents Seattle plans to sign to fill out their roster, along with the seven draft picks. I believe with the new additions, once everyone is signed, Seattle's roster will be at 77 players. But I'll dig more into that on Monday. Here's the list.

Michael Bennett, DE, Texas A&M
Tony Fein, LB, Mississippi
Dave Philistin, OLB, Maryland
Devin Moore, RB, Wyoming
Andre Ramsey, OT, Ball State
Tyler Roehl, RB, North Dakota State

The Seattle Seahawks selected California tight end Cameron Morrah with the 248th pick in the seventh round, the team's final pick in the 2009 draft.

I think that's it. We'll have comments up in a little bit from Tim Ruskell and Jim Mor

The Seattle Seahawks selected Nick Reed, a defensive end out of the University of Oregon with the 247th pick in the seventh round. One more left.

The Seattle Seahawks pick Courtney Greene, a safety out of Rutgers with the 245th pick in the seventh and final round. They've got two more left.

We are who we thought we were. And that’s not very good when it comes to correctly selecting who the Seattle Seahawks will draft.

With three picks left, only seven contestants have correctly picked at least one of the Seattle Seahawks selections so far.

They are: Eric Williams (Aaron Curry), Schlede (Curry), Dougula (Curry), Fuzzman55 (Max Unger), Seahawklovertoo (Unger), Brosco13 (Unger) and CamanoIslandJQ impressively picking Penn State receiver Deon Butler, although he had him going in the seventh round.

We’re going to give CamonoIslandJQ credit anyway, along with anyone else who correctly picks a Seahawks draft pick, regardless of where they are selected.

So now it comes down to who will correctly guess the next of Seattle’s last three picks, should they take that many.

Here’s the entire list of contestants in this excel spreadsheet. If I’ve missed someone let me know.

Local reporters just got a chance to talk to Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel, who just getting off the golf course when the Seattle Seahawks called him and let him know he had been selected.

Teel said his came to Seattle for a visit before the draft, touring the team's facility and meeting with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

"I knew they had a little bit of interest," Teel said. "I talked with one of my college coaches and they asked about myself a little bit. But I was just kind of keeping my fingers crossed, and I knew their pick was coming up in the sixth round, and it's just a great opportunity for me."

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The Philadelphia Eagles draft Washington State receiver Brandon Gibson, and the Rogers High grad and Puyallup native becomes the first player from the state of Washington to get drafted.

The Eagles were one of about 10 teams who watched Gibson workout in Seattle.

The Eagles should be a good fit for Gibson. They need receiver help and he should get a chance to play.

The Seattle Seahawks select Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel with the team's 178 overall pick in the first round.

Teel is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and started three seasons for Rutgers.

The Seattle Seahawks' sixth round pick, No. 178 overall, is coming up. So who do you want them to select? And what position should they address? Let me know in the comments section. Also, I'm updating the results for the the mock draft contest and will post them shortly after the Seahawks select.

Seattle Seahawks third round selection Deon Butler finished his career as Penn State's all-time receptions leader (Bob Brodbeck/AP).

UPDATE: I apologize. I’m still sleep-walking a bit here and I forgot to mention in the last post that Seattle’s trading partner was the Philadelphia Eagles for a trade that was originally the N.Y. Giants third-round pick.

So here’s the trade again. The Seahawks gave up their fifth-round pick (137th overall), seventh-round pick (213th overall) and a third-round pick in 2010 in a trade with Philadelphia in order to move up and take Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler.

Butler was a bit surprised, excited and grateful that the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the third rounds.

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The Seattle Seahawks continue to wheel and deal this morning, selecting Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler in the third round with the 91st pick.

The Seahawks gave up their fifth-round pick (137th overall), seventh-round pick (213th overall) and a third-round pick in 2010 in order to move up and take Butler.

I just talked to Rob Rang and he says that Butler is a Bobby Engram-type receiver who could play the slot. Butler is the all-time receptions leader at Penn State, breaking a record held by Engram. Butler is quick (4.38 in the 40-yard-dash) but small (listed at 5-11, 182 pounds).

I didn’t have a chance to do this on Saturday with everything going on, but here’s a few thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks first day of the draft as we begin Day 2.

The Aaron Curry pick was certainly the news on Saturday, but the Seahawks rescinding the franchise tag designated to linebacker Leroy Hill was a jolt to the system late in the day.

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I think if many of us could have laid out a blueprint for the Seahawks on the first day of the draft, it would have been to use the No. 4 pick to get a low-risk, high-impact player, and No. 37 to get a quality offensive lineman who could challenge to start next season.
The Seahawks not only did that, but in essence swapped third- and fourth-round picks this season for what could turn into a high first-round pick in next year’s draft.

We’ve hashed out the Aaron Curry pick at No. 4, but the trade back into the second round to get Oregon’s Max Unger is also intriguing.

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Team sources confirmed that the Seattle Seahawks removed the franchise tag designated to linebacker Leroy Hill in an effort to create some financial flexibility for the team.

The move came just hours after Seattle selected Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry with the team’s No. 4 overall pick in the first day of the draft on Saturday.

Curry will likely sign a lucrative, multi-year deal with the team to join a talented, linebackers’ unit that includes Hill and Lofa Tatupu.

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I talked to Rob Rang, senior draft analyst for NFLDraftScout.com about how Seattle graded out in its first day of the draft, and Rang gave the Seahawks high marks for their performance on Saturday.

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It appears the Seattle Seahawks and GM Tim Ruskell are not done wheeling and dealing. The Seahawks traded up in the second round, again with Denver, grabbing the Chicago Bears' 49th overall pick to select Oregon center Max Unger.

The Seahawks gave up their third round pick, the 68th overall, and their fourth round pick, the 105th overall.

With Unger, Seattle gets a versatile offensive lineman that can play center or guard, and will add depth to the interior line up front.

Unger was a guy Seattle targeted at No. 37, and when they saw him falling down the board they decided to make a move.

The Denver Broncos gave up their first round pick in 2010 for Seattle's 37th pick in the second round. The Broncos still have their second round pick.

Denver still has Chicago's first round pick next year from the Jay Cutler trade, but it's interesting that they felt Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith was good enough to make that move.

Looks like Seattle is done now unless they make a deal to get into the second round.

The Seattle Seahawks have traded the second round pick to Denver, still waiting details of the trade.

Tim Ruskell said the Seahawks identified Aaron Curry early in the scouting process as a player they’d like in Seattle, actually taking an interest in Curry in his junior season.

“Our people kind of noticed him last year in the offseason,” Ruskell said. “And our people kept coming back with good reports as we went through the season. So we started paying attention to him in terms of watching him play and that kind of thing, and everything came up solid, so we kind of had our eye on this guy for a long time.”

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We all had a chance to talk to new Seattle Seahawk Aaron Curry by telephone this afternoon. And Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell also addressed reporters, which I will putin another blog post here in a few minutes.

As expected, Curry was a good interview. And he had a few interesting things to say. Mainly that he never made the scheduled trip to Seattle for a planned visit with the team. Ruskell said during the press conference that the team called off the visit and told Curry they were good.

Further, Curry said the first time he talked to head coach Jim Mora was on the phone when Seattle let him know they planned to select them.

So it seems Seattle played down its interest in Curry so as not to let on to the rest of the league that they wanted him, which Ruskell confirmed during his press conference.

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The San Francisco 49ers select wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The Niners get a pretty good player here at No 10. And with Jerry Rice as a mentor, Crabtree should thrive. Another big receiver in the NFC West. Will Crabtree make Seattle pay twice a year for not selecting him at No. 4?

What do you think? Any surprises besides the Jets trading up?

The Green Bay Packers select defensive tackle B.J. Raji with the No. 9 pick. I think this makes some sense. The Packers need a nose tackle in that 3-4, particularly with Colin Cole gone.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. I think this is pretty good value for Jacksonville here. Monroe is a good player who can come in and help them right away.

Oakland Raider owner Al Davis continues to rule the draft for his organization, as the Raiders go for their trademark speed with the selection of WR Darrius Heyward-Bey from Maryland. How far will Michael Crabtree fall, or will the Jags take him here?

The Cincinnati Bengals select offensive tackle Andre Smith. After all of the stuff that happened at the NFL Scouting Combine, Smith manages to rebound and gets slotted in at No. 6. Eugene Monroe is sliding down the board, with the concerns about his knee.

The New York Jets make the bold move and trade up for the Cleveland Browns pick and select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

And they gave up a lot. The Jets gave up three players and the team's first and second round picks to get up to five. Obviously they were concerned about Washington or Denver jumping ahead of them.

So now the question is was Seattle offered the same trade, and if so did they decline to trade out because they liked Curry so much.

The Seattle Seahawks got the player they wanted, selecting Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry with the No. 4 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft this afternoon.

With the No. 4 selection, Curry is the highest linebacker selected since Green Bay picked linebacker A.J. Hawk with the fifth pick overall in the 2006 draft.

Curry was considered the best player overall in this year's draft, and the safest pick. Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell said before the draft that he wanted to select a player who would make an immediate impact, and Curry seems to fit the bill.

The Seahawks have a vacancy at outside linebacker with Julian Peterson traded to Detroit. So Curry can step in and fill the vacant spot at linebacker.

Curry was emotional after hearing his name read, and said he'll be a good fit in Seattle's defensive system.

"I expect to go in there and really get into a team-oriented franchise, and get into the defense and have some fun and fly around," he said.

Curry, 22, was the Butkus Award winner as the best linebacker in the nation last year. At 6-foot-2, 254 pounds, Curry was the fastest linebacker at the combine in Indianapolis, and is expected to be a guy who can play fast and sure tackler who plays well in space.

Aaron Curry is a great pick for the Seahawks. Disregard the position/value question. Don’t be concerned that linebackers aren’t usually taken this high. As a blend of need and talent, Curry is the player with the best combination of immediate and long-term impact.

He can step into the hole created by the trading of Julian Peterson, and keeps the Seahawks’ linebacker corps among the most athletic in the NFL. Beyond that, Curry gives the Hawks some roster leverage in case of contract complications with linebacker Leroy Hill.

Supposedly, Curry grades high in the character and leadership categories. Here’s the most important thing I’ve seen: The guy finishes. He doesn’t just hit running backs and hope they fall over; he plants his head and shoulders, wraps his arms around them, and brings them down. He takes the proper angle of pursuit, he gets to the ball, and he makes the play. He looks like a guy they can plug into a position and expect him to be one of the best in the league for a number of years. That’s what you’re supposed to get with the fourth pick.

I still believe the Seahawks MUST upgrade the talent on the offensive line. There’s depth and talent in this draft to do that later. Curry is an exciting pick. He makes the team better immediately.

Kansas City selects LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson. So it looks like Aaron Curry will fall into Seattle's lap if they want them. I think Tim Ruskell is giddy right now. A lot of people didn't believe Curry fit the Chiefs' 3-4 scheme, and that appears to be the case.

The St. Louis Rams select Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith, who is very emotional moving up to the podium. So far it's been by the book, but that could change with KC.

The Detroit Lions select Matthew Stafford. No surprise here. Now we move to No. 2, and the real drama begins.

Myself and Dave Boling are getting set up here and ready to go. I thought I'd post a couple pictures so you can check out the set up here, and also pass along some scuttlebutt on the web.

The latest comes from Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star, who reports that the Detroit Lions, who just signed Georgia's Matthew Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick, are interested in moving up to No. 3 overall and taking the Chiefs' pick. According to Tiecher, the Lions turned down an offer for Kansas City's first round pick and a fourth-round pick for Detroit's 20th pick in the first round and the Lions second-round pick.

I think this shows the Chiefs really would like to move down and not be locked in to the No. 3 overall pick, and perhaps improves Seattle's chances of getting linebacker Aaron Curry.

Dave Hutchinson of The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that the Washington Redskins are trying to move up to the St. Louis Rams pick at No. 2 to select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. I expected Washington to move up, but I didn't think they'd try to move up that high.

If Sanchez is gone, that makes Seattle's likely choice either Aaron Curry or Michael Crabtree. And if Kansas City goes with Curry, then I think Crabtree is the guy.

Meanwhile, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reports the Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell is working the pnones, trying to determine if teams are trying to move up to Kansas City's No. 3 overall pick.

Here’s my updated mock draft heading into this afternoon’s selections. There are few changes, most notably I moved USC quarterback Mark Sanchez up and have him going at No. 8 to Jacksonville. Sanchez is the wild card. He could go as high as No. 2 today to St. Louis. More likely though Washington, the Jets or Denver will move up to eight and grab him there.

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Brian Cushing of USC, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree and Brian Orakpo of Texas pose for the crowd at Radio Music Hall in New York (Frank Franklin/AP).

Draft day is finally here, with today’s event officially getting underway at 1 p.m. this afternoon. I’ll be posting regular updates throughout the day, including each time is selection is made up to the Seahawks pick at No. 4.

But I thought we’d start off this morning by taking a tour around the teams picking in the top five to get an idea of what’s being said about each team.

So here we go.

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Jay Glazer of Fox Sports is reporting that Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions have reached an agreement on a six-year deal worth $78 million, with $41.7 million guaranteed for Stafford to be the team's first overall pick.

Below is today's chat from this morning in case you were unable to make it. We'll try to make this a weekly deal, and I'm still trying to figure out a good time, so suggestions are welcome.

Also, I was on with KJR's Ian Furness this afternoon, which you can listen to in this audio link.

Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com also was on with Ian this afternoon, and you can listen to that in this audio link.

According to Thomas George of NFL.com, Matthew Stafford has all but assured he'll be a Detroit Lion come draft day tomorrow.

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LSU defensive lineman Tyson Jackson has shot up the draft board in many mock drafts this week (Butch Dill/AP).

It’s unlikely the Seattle Seahawks will select a defensive linemen with the team’s No. 4 overall draft pick

The Seahawks signed Colin Cole in free agency to be the team’s run stuffer up front. And they added depth by receiving Cory Redding from Detroit in the trade for Julian Peterson to Detroit.

However, if they were to consider a defensive lineman the first round, LSU’s Tyson Jackson or Boston College’s B.J. Raji would be good fits.

Jackson has been moving up the draft boards. He has versatility, with the ability to play defensive end in a both a 3-4 and a 4-3, and at 6-foo-4, 295 he can also kick down to defensive tackle during third down and rush the passer.

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Bring me your questions tomorrow. I'll host a live chat beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday. It will run for about an hour. We'll host it at the sports front page. Here's the link. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Seattle Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell, head coach Jim Mora and vice president of player personnel Ruston Webster answered questions about the draft for a little over a half hour.

There were no new revelations in terms of what the Seahawks will do with the draft pick. Ruskell again said they’ve have their top four players in place, but what they do still will depend on what happens in front of them. And with all the speculation going on, Ruskell said that’s a hard thing for the team to predict.

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Ask and you shall receive. Some folks in the comment section thought it would be interesting if we put together a Seahawks mock draft, attempting to predict who the Seahawks might take with the team's 10 picks, and I agree.

So here’s my attempt to predict who Seattle might select this weekend. Post your own mock draft in the comments section down below, and I’ll throw them on an excel spreadsheet and announce the winner on Monday. Again, one per customer please.

I'll post my updated, first-round mock draft on Friday. And later today I'll have a report on Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell's pre-draft press conference.

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Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com is reporting that the Detroit Lions already have a deal in place for Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry if the team drafts him as the No. 1 overall pick, in case negotiations with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford go south.

This is interesting news, considering earlier reports that a deal was essentially done with Stafford.

Also, Curry said he would take less money than 2008's No. 1 pick to play for the Lions. Stay tuned.

Seattle Seahawks fans want the team to draft a playmaker like Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree (Eric Gay/ AP).

Wow.

I knew there was a lot of Michael Crabtree love out there, but I didn't expect the Texas Tech wide receiver to win convincingly.

But the voters have spoken, and Crabtree was the overwhelming pick that you believe the Seahawks should select at No. 4, with Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry a distant second.

In our unscientific poll, Crabtree received 32 of the 96 total votes cast, with Curry grabbing 19 and USC quarterback Mark Sanchez coming in third with 12 votes.

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David Birkett of the Oakland Press is reporting the Detroit Lions are close to a deal with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford to be selected for the No. 1 overall pick.

Per the report, the deal just needs to be finalized by owner William Clay Ford.

However, Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com is reporting Detroit team officials have denied the Oakland Press report.

Either way, it appears Stafford is probably headed to Detroit on Saturday, and linebacker Aaron Curry could still be in play when Seattle picks at No. 4.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry said he's willing to take less money to sign with the Detroit Lions as the No. 1 pick than Michigan tackle Jake Long received from Miami as the No 1 pick in 2008.

Long signed a signed a five-year, $57.75 million contract last year that included $30 million in guaranteed money.

"I'd be more than happy to accept that deal," Curry said.

Here's another excerpt of what Curry said when asked if he could see himself in a Lions uniform.

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There's been a lot of talk about who the Seattle Seahawks should select with the No. 4 pick, if they do not trade down on Saturday.

So let's put it to a vote. Post in the comments section who you believe Seattle should take. I'll count the votes and post the results later on today. We'll keep the polls open until 3 p.m. One vote per customer, please.

Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe could be available when Seattle selects at No. 4 (Kevin Fox, Getty Images).

The Seattle Seahawks say they don’t desperately need help at offensive tackle and believe Walter Jones will return healthy from microfracture knee surgery.

Further, Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell says there is offensive line talent to be had later in the draft, and there is not that much drop off in talent.

But if one of the top two tackles is on the board – either Virginia’s Eugene Monroe or Baylor’s Jason Smith – will Seattle really pass?

Both are solid prospects who project as good offensive tackles at the next level. But neither is thought of as the next Walter Jones, and that’s a problem when you’re going to pay someone $25 to $30 million in guaranteed money.

However, Seattle could use some more big bodies up front to add depth to an position group that suffered several injuries last season.

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Talented Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree may be too good for the Seattle Seahawks to pass up at No. 4 (Jamie Squire/Getty Images).

If the Seattle Seahawks are looking for a player to immediately help them win now, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree fits the bill.

He’s quick, explosive and has good hands, evidenced by his college-record 231 receptions, 41 of which went for touchdowns. And there would not be as much pressure on Crabtree to perform with veteran receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch and Nate Burleson already in the fold.

There have been questions about his speed, particularly after a cracked bone was discovered in his left foot. Crabtree had his foot surgically repaired, and told Dan Patrick that he could run a 4.4 40-yard dash now in this audio link.

During the interview Crabtree said he’s met and went out to dinner with Seattle Seahawks staff.

Seattle could put Crabtree in a 10-play package each game, and also let him return punts and kicks so that you know he will get touches every game. Drafting Crabtree isn’t necessarily a need, but after what happened to the Seahawks receiving corps in 2008, GM Tim Ruskell certainly will mull over the decision to draft a playmaker like Crabtree.

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Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells could be high-stepping into the end zone in a Seattle Seahawks uniform in 2009 (Lui Kit Wong, The News Tribune).

Speed to burn

Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells has it. But will NFL teams overlook some of Wells’ inconsistent performances in college and draft him on his potential to be a great runner in the league?

The Seattle Seahawks are looking for a running back to add to their stable of runners, including Julius Jones, T.J. Duckett and Justin Forsett. But the first round may be to high for Seattle to take someone like Wells.

However, the speedy Ohio State product would be a good fit in the Seahawks new zone blocking scheme, which requires backs to make one cut and get up field quick.

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USC quarterback Mark Sanchez could go as high as the No. 4 pick to Seattle in Saturday's upcoming draft (Stephen Dunn, Getty Images).

Our draft preview coverage begins today with a look at what quarterbacks the Seattle Seahawks might consider. We’ll take a look at a position group each day leading up to Saturday.

Mark Sanchez has recently been the trendy pick for the Seahawks, but even if Seattle does not select Sanchez at No. 4, they will probably pick a quarterback at some point during the draft.

Other teams looking at Sanchez include San Francisco, Jacksonville, Denver and Houston. Sanchez believes he has the total package.

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Seattle Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell talked with local reporters for about 45 minutes this afternoon about the upcoming draft.

Even with the latest speculation of teams reportedly interested in moving up to select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, Ruskell said he did not like his team’s chances of trading down, in part because he believes there are really no franchise-changing players at the top of the draft.

Ruskell also says the team has its top four players pegged – although the organization is still debating the order – and that the Seattle has not cemented who they want to pick at four.

For obvious reasons, he declined to say who those four players were.

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Jay Glazer of Fox Sports is reporting that the Philadelphia Eagles have traded their first round pick (No. 28) to Buffalo for left tackle Jason Peters.

The Bills also reportedly will receive a second-day pick in this year's draft and a late-round pick in the 2010 draft.

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Former Houston Texans and Washington Redskins general manager Charlie Casserly talked with KJR-AM’s Mitch Levy about the upcoming draft and offered his thoughts on some the top players projected to go early in the first round.

Here’s some tidbits from the interview.

Casserly predicted Detroit would take Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, and said if he were in Detroit he would also lean that direction.

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Maybe the smokescreen did work.

Jason La Confora of the Washington Post reports (hat tip to Seahawks Addicts) that sources have told him the Washington Redskins, with the No. 13 pick, have sent out feelers to see what it would take to move up and take Seattle's No. 4 pick to select USC quarterback Matt Sanchez.

Here's an excerpt.

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USC quarterback Mark Sanchez talked with KJR’s Mitch Levy about turning pro and what his thoughts are heading into the draft.

Levy asked Sanchez about the possibility of playing in Seattle.

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As I start working on our 2009 NFL Draft preview, which begins on Sunday runs each day until draft day, I again talked to Rob Rang, senior draft analyst for NFLDraftScout.com about who he believes Seattle will select entering the final stretch before the draft.

Rang still sees the Seahawks selecting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez with the team’s No. 4 overall pick to groom as an eventual replacement for Matt Hasselbeck.

However, Rang did point out the irony that he felt much more confident in who Seattle would select last year with the Seahawks picking late in the first-round, accurately predicting defensive end Lawrence Jackson, as opposed to this year with Seattle selecting No. 4 overall, but several possibilities still remaining.

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Longtime NFL TV analyst John Madden announced his retirement this morning. The 73-year-old Madden, who worked with Al Michaels in the prime time slot Sunday night on NBC, said it was time.

Madden was a fan favorite because of his every man appeal and overall knowledge of the game.

So who do you want to replace him? Chris Collinsworth? Brian Billick? Howie Long? Troy Aikman? Let us know in the comments section.

After months of Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin asking for a trade, the Cardinals have obliged, officially announcing that they will hear offers for the physically tough wide receiver according to the Arizona Republic.

However, even though Boldin is on the market, Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt has said the goal of the organization is still to sign Boldin to a long-term deal.

Boldin's situation is part of the team's larger issue of trying to keep a team that advanced to the Super Bowl together. Losing Boldin would certainly weaken the Cardinals offensively.

ESPN's Mike Sando provides some analysis on the possibility of Boldin leaving Arizona here.

Here's the release from the Seahawks PR staff.

RENTON, Wash. - The Seahawks are now accepting applications for the 2009 Sea Gals sideline dance group. The four-stage auditions will take place at Qwest Field beginning on Sunday, April 26, with the final competition and live webcast on Sunday, May 3.

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Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com talks to Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry in part three of a four-part series following the talented linebacker up to draft day.

Rang’s story focuses on the possible drop of Curry to as far as No. 8 to the Jags in the draft. Considered the safest pick in the draft, there’s been some debate as to whether Curry will be an inside or outside linebacker at the next level.

Here’s what Rang had to say about Curry’s possible slide.

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Here are some quick thoughts on Seattle’s 2009 schedule.
Seattle opens up with four of six games at home, including St. Louis, Chicago, Jacksonville and Arizona.

Seattle head coach Jim Mora had to like that debuting as Seattle’s head coach in 2009.

Seattle's bye week comes in week 7, which should work out better after having the bye week in the fourth week of the season last year, although last season the Seahawks needed to regroup early in the season.

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The NFL announced the regular season schedule this afternoon, including the full Seattle Seahawks schedule, which can be viewed here.

Sun, Sept. 13 - vs. St. Louis Rams 1:15 p.m.
Sun, Sept. 20 - at San Francisco 49ers, 1:05 p.m.

Sun, Sept. 27 - vs. Chicago Bears, 1:05 p.m.
Sun, Oct. 4 - at Indianapolis Colts, 10 a.m.

Sun, Oct. 11 - vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:15 p.m.
Sun, Oct. 18 - vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1:05 p.m.

Bye
Sun, Nov. 1 - at Dallas Cowboys, 10 a.m.

Sun, Nov. 8 - vs. Detroit Lions, 1:05 p.m.
Sun, Nov. 15 - at Arizona Cardinals, 1:15 p.m.

Sun, Nov. 22 - at Minnesota Vikings, 10 a.m
Sun, Nov. 29 - at St. Louis Rams, 10 a.m.

Sun, Dec. 6 - vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1:15 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 13 - at Houston Texans, 10 a.m

Sun, Dec. 20 - vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:15 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 27 - at Green Bay Packers, 10 a.m.

Sun, Jan. 3 - vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:15 p.m.

Seattle opens up at home against NFC West rival the St. Louis Rams on Sunday Sept. 13.

I’ll have some analysis of the schedule a bit later.

If the Seattle Seahawks planned to put out a smoke screen, creating the perception that they might take USC quarterback Mark Sanchez with the No. 4 pick, they’ve done a pretty good job.

However, the Seahawks selecting Sanchez at No. 4 may not be an illusion.

Seattle head coach Jim Mora and team president and general manager Tim Ruskelll have said that the team needs to draft a quarterback sooner rather than later to groom as the eventual replacement for 33-year-old quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

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Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp joined KJR’s Mitch Levy on the radio this morning to talk about last week's minicamp and how the offense looked during the three days of practice.

Knapp said the minicamp, an extra set of practices Seattle received because of Jim Mora’s status as a new coach, was important for the new coaches to get a chance to introduce the new schemes to the players.

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Wide Receiver Logan Payne says he’s 100 percent healthy now after rehabilitating a torn MCL in his right knee he suffered at Qwest Field in the second game of the season against San Francisco.

Payne said he had a good week of practice in his first action on the football field since early in 2008. He spent the first day or so getting comfortable with being out on the field again

“I haven’t been out here in a long time, so there’s just the little things you have to get back into,” Payne said. “But overall, I’m feeling real strong, real fast and I’m working real hard to get back, so I’m feeling good.

“I’m a football player, so that’s where I love to be out on the field. It was kind of tough last year because I couldn’t be out on the field with the guys, so it’s great to get back. We’ve got some new energy around here, people flying around and a lot of new people. So it’s been exciting.”

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Happy Easter. Hope you’re staying dry on this wet Sunday morning.

I had a sit down with defensive end Lawrence Jackson on the last day of minicamp. You can find the story here.

Jackson had some interesting things to say, and was honest in evaluating his rookie season, saying he did not live up to his expectations. He made no excuses for his performance, and believes he’ll be better this season.

Jackson suffered a right foot injury early in the season but played through the pain. He also played defensive end and defensive tackle on passing downs, but now is focused on learning the defensive end position.

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The Seattle Seahawks wrapped up the veteran minicamp today with a practiced that lasted nearly two hours.

Today I focused on watching the defense, including this video clip above, which shows defensive line/assistant coach Dan Quinn (on the sled) and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley (foreground) working with the defensive line on the sled. Again, nothing earth shattering here, but just a look-in to get a feel for what's going on at practice.

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Gregg Bell of the Associated Press takes on an interesting question in his report from the Seattle Seahawks’ veterans camp. With Julian Peterson traded to the Detroit Lions, Leroy Hill not around and D.D. Lewis injured, the Seahawks first unit includes Lofa Tatupu and unproven, young linebackers Lance Laury and Will Herring on the outside.

Bell says it’s one of the reasons the Seahawks are taking a long look at Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.

Here’s an excerpt:

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Day 2 of the Seattle Seahawks veterans camp was a little more tame compared to Tuesday's practice, with coaches on both sides of the ball focused more on teaching the basic schemes of the new system.

However, practice still moved at a brisk pace, including team drills at the end of practice. I posted the video above so you could get feel of how things are going out here.

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Some links to start your morning.

Seattle head coach Jim Mora cranks up the intensity in his first official practice as the head whistle blower.

Scott Johnson of the Everett Herald reports that Mora had butterflies in the first day on the job.

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Here’s the full interview with Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora from Tuesday's practice, provided by the team’s public relations staff.

You can also listen to a snippet of the interview here.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck rolls out on the team's first day of veterans camp on Tuesday (AP photo, Elaine Thompson).

After finishing the worst season of his career, both statistically and in the win-loss column, its no wonder Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck wants to put 2008 in his rear-view mirror.

The Seahawks finished with a 4-12 record, the organization’s lowest mark since the team’s 2-14 campaign in 1992.

And uneven quarterback play had a lot to do with that. Hasselbeck played in only nine games, finishing with a career-worst 57.8 passer rating with only five touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 1,216 yards thrown for a 52.2 completion percentage.

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In Seattle Seahawks inaugural practice with head coach Jim Mora at the helm, the team only wore helmets. But you would have thought the Seahawks were padded up with some of the blows being delivered by the defense.

The Seahawks got a lot of work done in the 105-minute practice that was highlighted by physical play during team drills, with running back Julius Jones and receiver Logan Payne taking decent shots in supposed “no-contact” drills.

Noticeably absent was linebacker Leroy Hill, who the Seahawks designated with the franchise tag this offseason, but still has not signed the $8.3 million tender. Hill would have had to sign the tender or a waiver to practice this week, but instead did not show up on Tuesday.

Mora said he understood Hill’s absence as a business decision, and that there’s no animosity with Hill for not showing up.

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The Seattle Seahawks will begin their first veteran minicamp this afternoon, and three tryout players have been added to the roster.

The additions should be familiar faces. They include fullback David Kirtman, along with linebackers Shane Simmons and Kelly Poppinga.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck joined co-hosts Brock Huard and Mike Salk in studio on the new all-sports ESPN 710 debut this afternoon.

Hasselbeck talked about the transition from longtime Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren to Jim Mora. He said the Seahawks have already been working hard, so Tuesday won’t be that much different except for the reporters who will be allowed to watch.

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This offseason has not been kind to University of Washington product and former Jacksonville receiver Reggie Williams.

Now a free agent, Williams was arrested for the second time in three months Sunday night in Houston on a felony drug charge, according to a FOXSports.com report.

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With the Seattle Seahawks first minicamp with new head coach Jim Mora beginning on Tuesday, I thought we should pose 10 questions the Seahawks need answered this season. Throughout the year we’ll keep tabs on how the Seahawks go about answering these questions.

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KJR-AM’s Mitch Levy interviewed Hawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley this morning, covering several topics during a 16-minute interview, including how different Bradley believes Seattle’s defense will play in 2009, the division of duties between himself and Mora and how new defensive lineman Cory Redding will be used.

Here’s a couple of the highlights:

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Now the trade talk of quarterback Jay Cutler coming to Seattle can subside, now that it's been reported that Cutler is headed to the Windy City to play for the Chicago Bears.

John Clayton of ESPN.com is reporting that Denver will get two first round selections, a third rounder and quarterback Kyle Orton for the 25-year-old flame thrower.

I never thought Seattle would be interested in getting Cutler because it would involve giving up too much, and the Seahawks already have a quality starter in Matt Hasselbeck.

UPDATE: Looks like we got pulled into this elaborate hoax. According to ProFootballTalk.com, the alternate jerseys are not real. Sorry folks, or perhaps some of you are glad these aren't real. However, I do believe the Seahawks have plans for alternate jerseys in the near future.

Some of you may remember when the Seattle Seahawks introduced the current uniforms they have now in 2002, which included fearless defensive tackle Chad Eaton strutting down the catwalk.

Well, apparently the Seahawks are at it again, as word has leaked out that Seattle will introduce new alternative jerseys that they could possibly wear during the 2009 season.

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I recently checked in with Rob Rang, senior analyst with NFLDraftScout.com, to get his thoughts on where the Seattle Seahawks sit in terms of the upcoming draft in April with less than a month remaining.

We’ll have a more thorough breakdown of each position group in a couple weeks as part of our draft preview coverage, but for now Rang shares his thoughts on who Seattle might select with the team’s No. 4 overall pick.

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