Seahawks Sign CB Ken Lucas and FB Justin Griffith

by John Morgan on Apr 27, 2009 4:22 PM PDT

Danny O'Neil is reporting that Seattle has signed cornerback Ken Lucas and fullback Justin Griffith. Lucas was drafted by Seattle with the 40^th pick in the 2001 draft. He played four seasons in Seattle, in 62 games with 47 starts. He left after his best season, 2004, and signed a lucrative contract with Carolina. In 2008, he cost $5.9 million against the cap. That cap figure ultimately cost him his job, and Carolina cut Lucas on March 11 in order to save $2.3 million.

Lucas is a young 30, on the outer edge of a cornerback's prime. In2008, Lucas was the starting right cornerback for a Carolina defense that road a resurgent pass rush to a eighth ranked pass defense. He had two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and 60 tackles. Lucas is primarily a cover corner, with decent ball skills and good, sometimes thumping open-field tackling. He should start over Kelly Jennings and move Josh Wilson to nickel.

Justin Griffith is afraid to be too far from offensive coordinator Gregg Knapp. The two first bonded in 2004, and since that time, Griffith's second year in the league, Griffith has not played for another offensive coordinator. Griffith is a quality lead blocker with some limited receiving skills. He knows Knapp's offense as well as a fullback can, and will likely start over unpolished fullback prospect Owen Schmitt.

Seattle freed up the money by removing the franchise tag from Leroy Hill. How these signings affect or reflect Seattle's negotiations with Hill is unknown.

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Awesome

Although Griffith has the speed of a sloth I liked him in Atlanta.

I think the Griffith signing has been coming for weeks. It seemed inevitable as soon as word came out that he visited Seattle before Weaver signed with the Eagles.

Time to crush some helmets and watch a cornerback actually look for the ball instead of playing the receiver blindly 100% of the time (cough)Kelly Jennings(cough).

Fun Fact: If Patrick Chung and Marcus Trufant were to have a helmet-to-helmet collision, the world would explode.

by SSreporters on Apr 27, 2009 3:46 PM PDT reply actions

This is indeed happy news.

I was a little concerned when the Hawks added only a raw safety to the mix through the draft, but Lucas should help shore up the secondary. This doesn’t solve the safety problem, however.

by abender20 on Apr 27, 2009 3:47 PM PDT reply actions

An "accidental torn ACL" by Brian Russell can fix that problem.

Fun Fact: If Patrick Chung and Marcus Trufant were to have a helmet-to-helmet collision, the world would explode.

by SSreporters on Apr 27, 2009 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm imagining

Ninja-garbed FieldGulls readers, under the cover of darkness, strapping him to a piece of wood and hyperextending his leg.

by cyberwulf on Apr 27, 2009 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions

How about the soap-in-socks treatment ala Full Metal Jacket?

by Misfit74 on Apr 27, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions

I like the Masterlocks and D-batteries in a sock treatment better.

It’ll cut through all that grit wayyy faster.

by PRIDEin253 on Apr 27, 2009 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions

But in the end our effort is thwarted by his overpowering grit.

We’re on the ground crippled now that we’ve pulled our backs, he frees himself from the piece of wood and tackles us about 1 minute after we collapsed. He then celebrates and walks away saying “Don’t mess with B-Russ bee-yotch.”

Fun Fact: If Patrick Chung and Marcus Trufant were to have a helmet-to-helmet collision, the world would explode.

by SSreporters on Apr 27, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions 6 recs

REC THIS COMMENT

also it’s time to change your siggy SS

2/3 of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Marcus Trufant.

by Chickadee on Apr 27, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh yeah

Siggy changed.

St. Louis Rams Fan: We've got Stephen Jackson!
Arizona Cardinals Fan: We've got Larry Fitzgerald!
San Francisco 49ers fan: We've got Michael Crabtree and a guy named Bear Pascoe!
Seattle Seahawks fan: Oh yeah? We've got Brian Russell and TWO kickers!

by SSreporters on Apr 27, 2009 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions

I think if I have to spend more time reading your sig

than reading your comment, it’s too long

by Ezzra on Apr 27, 2009 7:27 PM PDT up reply actions

This one better work.

Seattle Seahawks: We've got Brian Russell and TWO kickers!

by SSreporters on Apr 27, 2009 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Glad to see the Lucas signing over and done with so quickly.

It really would have put a huge damper on our draft if we didn’t shore up our secondary through trade or FA. Some D-Line insurance would be nice too.

by sammy on Apr 27, 2009 4:10 PM PDT reply actions

Also, I never noticed how freakishly short Owen Schmitt's arms are.

by sammy on Apr 27, 2009 4:13 PM PDT reply actions

That's Schmitt?

I thought that was some midget the Hawks hired to make players feel big and fast? And I’m not even joking.

McCoy McCoy 2010

by LantermanC on Apr 27, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Camera angle.

by shams on Apr 27, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Not to mention that the length of the jerseys

Interfere with the relative points of reference. It will make anyone’s arms look shorter than they really are.

Weez the juice!!

by Carl Shinyama on Apr 27, 2009 4:55 PM PDT reply actions

No, those are stubs.

;)

by Misfit74 on Apr 27, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not totally ready to give up on Jennings just yet

Lucas should start over him clearly, but I wonder if we can’t make a nickel corner out of him?

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Apr 27, 2009 5:23 PM PDT reply actions

I hear you,

although I can’t help but think that teams will pick on Jennings wherever he is on the field.

“Jennings is playing the nickle, we’re going to you on this play Breaston. Fitz, Anquan, you guys can take this one off”

by Misfit74 on Apr 27, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions

I just have the sneaking suspicion...

that being in good position (but not getting picks) is a bit like taking good shots in basketball. If he keeps giving himself opportunities to make plays by being in the right position and doing things the right way it just seems like the results should improve for him.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Apr 27, 2009 6:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe we could but why, when we have Josh Wilson?

Not to mention Jennings’ skill set is not at all suited for a zone scheme. His career with this team is in serious jeopardy.

by t.hast12 on Apr 27, 2009 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Agreed. I don't see him making the 53.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see him flipped for a late round pick in ‘10. Or swapped for some other team’s mis-cast underachiever (like the Boulware/Babin trade).

Too bad. I always liked the guy, and he was looking good before this past year. But I don’t think it’s a matter of him just needing to rebound, I think he was drafted with a completely different scheme in mind, and now he’s no longer a fit even if he was playing up to his ceiling.

by jteckmann on Apr 27, 2009 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions

TR is on fire

This has/is shaping up to be a very good offseason for the Hawks, I really hope we can re-sign Hill this defense is going to be nasty.

I try to help with everything," Fernandez said. "If the coach says go rebound, I go rebound. I work for the team.

""If I'm playing this game to get media and attention, I shouldn't be here," Aldridge said. "I'm here to play basketball, and do what I can do to help this team win."

His stare became blank. It was apparent he was back in that place, on the Rose Garden's logo, picking up Aaron Brooks as the crowd nervously roared.

by Dragonage on Apr 27, 2009 5:49 PM PDT reply actions

Could you shorten up that sig to one line?

by BrianL on Apr 27, 2009 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Or maybe tell a different part of the story with each post?

Flash to April 25th. The eyes of Aldridge are alive with passion, shooting searing bolts of fire through Yao Ming as the crowd roared. After the game, Aldridge was stoic and resolved. “I don’t care about the money or the women,” said Aldridge. “I’m here to shoot bolts of fire through Yao Ming.”

"Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?" - Dr. Venture

by Eegah on Apr 27, 2009 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Just then Aldrige remembered what Yao Ming could do.

The power to kill a yak, from 200 yards away…with mind bullets! “That’s telekinesis” thought Aldrige. “And that is a great power. But I’ve got one up my sleeve, How ’bout the power… to move you?”

2/3 of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Marcus Trufant.

by Chickadee on Apr 27, 2009 11:09 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I almost had to put this in my sig line

still thinking about it.

I try to help with everything," Fernandez said. "If the coach says go rebound, I go rebound. I work for the team.

""If I'm playing this game to get media and attention, I shouldn't be here," Aldridge said. "I'm here to play basketball, and do what I can do to help this team win."

His stare became blank. It was apparent he was back in that place, on the Rose Garden's logo, picking up Aaron Brooks as the crowd nervously roared.

by Dragonage on Apr 28, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions

Why do we even get to have sigs?

Especially five line poetic monstrosities about the Portland Blazers?

by Gihyou on Apr 27, 2009 11:51 PM PDT up reply actions

It's a way of expressing your own unique personality

and nothing says this is me this is who I am like the quoting of others

by B.B.Finnegan on Apr 28, 2009 7:34 AM PDT up reply actions

how does one get the power to sig?

by Built2Spill on Apr 28, 2009 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions

You have to have lots and lots of

GRIT.

let’s just say if Brian Russel posted here his sig would be longer then a Don DeLillo novel

by B.B.Finnegan on Apr 28, 2009 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions

And even more pointless . . .

by The Ancient Mariner on Apr 28, 2009 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Isn't Underworld his only long novel?

Now James Cavell…

by John Morgan on Apr 28, 2009 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Or Michener

Why he picked DeLillo for length, I don’t know . . . maybe it’s because when you try to read the stupid things, they feel completely interminable.

by The Ancient Mariner on Apr 28, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Accomplish something first.

I figure you get one line for each playoff series won.

by Steen on Apr 27, 2009 8:12 PM PDT reply actions

Mike Sando off-handidly reported the

contract numbers while talking about Hill.

He said both are 1 year deals, with Lucas at 2.3 mil and Griffith at 700,000.

by Fear on Apr 28, 2009 2:33 PM PDT reply actions

Link fail!

Let’s try that again.

The link seems to not be working for me, so here’s the address:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcwest/0-8-783/What-to-make-of-the-Leroy-Hill-situation.html

by Fear on Apr 28, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Beat me to it. Bastage.

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Apr 28, 2009 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow

I think that’s completely worth it. That even covers for the possibility of Lucas having declined to where he only starts half the time and plays nickle half the time.

by cashless on Apr 28, 2009 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Indeed.

I thought we were going to pay him far more and even if we did I wouldn’t complain. This is an absolute bargain.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Apr 28, 2009 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions

This offseason for the hawks...

…I’ve been holding my breath. Not knowing what was going to happen and just anxious about wether or not they would take a step back and it would be like the early ‘90s again. I kept telling myself they only need a few pieces and some health and their good.
Now that the dust is settling I’m starting to smile cause for all the questions about stradegy and complaints about Ruskell I heard. It actually looks like he did a good job, set up for next years draft, will be ok with the cap. Only thing left is health and I got my fingers crossed for that.

by hawkfanjp on Apr 28, 2009 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions