I don’t buy into the idea that Shaun Alexander was dogging it every time he stepped onto the field after he got his knew contract. Shaun was a typical case of a halfback who became a victim of injuries and age. You have no idea what was going on in his head, and as such, it’s not fair to imply that Shaun got lazy. This is just as stupid as people who assume Erik Bedard is a bad teammate because he doesn’t talk to the media and doesn’t pitch while injured.

This contract argument is silly. Do you think Lofa and Marcus are dogging it now that they’ve got new deals?

I don’t think Shaun was dogging it either. The guy had carried the ball a ton of times by the time 2006 rolled around and his decline was very predictable. Obivously offensive line play was an issue as well. You really don’t know ‘why’ people do things, despite the sports media speculating about it constantly. All you know is that his play really dropped off, a lot of that is definitely wear and tear, how much of it is lack of effort? No one knows.

You can make the argument that a player will play harder when a contract is on the line, but it is totally speculative. You can make the opposite argument as well. A player may be inclined to hold back when a contract is on the line because if he has built up a strong performance resume then a down year will only hurt his stock so much. However, an injury could throw him off the map entirely. This is why he will play harder AFTER the contract because he knows if he gets hurt on the field its not nearly as drastic.

Ruskell has done a good job of bringing in guys that love to play and wouldn’t want to devote their lives to picking up checks and conning their employers and fans. Bobby’s situation is similar to that of Burress or Stephen Jackson. Even though those guys are much better at their positions, Bobby has a lot of value because he is the only guy who has worked with Hasselbeck consistently. At Hasselbeck’s age he could get hurt at any time and that may neccesitate him playing on Sunday with little or no practice time in between to build rap with younger receivers.

(Speculation Warning) He will probably leave next year under circumstances similar to those which led Hackett to leave. The money and number of years on Hackett’s deal with Carolina cannot possible have been much different from what Seattle was offering, as they only gave him 3.5/2. I believe it comes down to a matter of principle though. There is an outside offer slightly better than what Seattle is offering. Hackett feels he is an important piece on this team and has done his part and earned his pay. The fact that the team won’t match leads him to leave as a matter of principle. I think this is ultimately a lot worse for Hackett because he is now a #3 wideout in Carolina while he would have started here. That chance means he could earn himself a big payday in a year or two if he stays healthy. That may not happen but it is upside that is worth taking in exchange for a small paycut.

I see the same happening with Bobby. No one is going to pay him like the 1200 yard 6 td numbers he garnered in 2007. Seattle will probably offer 2 million / 1 year. We don’t see him lasting much longer but want the insurance policy should all the other unprovens not pan out. Another team will give him 4 / 2 or something to ride the pine and he’ll take it.