It's times like this that I'm proud I stuck to my guns in support of Tim Ruskell. This deal is beyond belief.

The deal counts $5 million against the salary cap in the first year, down from the $8.3 million total for the franchise tag. The deal includes escalator clauses starting in the third year, but the team could walk away after two seasons and save money under the cap. In other words, Seattle won its gamble in withdrawing the franchise tag.

Hill costs $6.4 million against the cap in 2010.

Seattle locks up Hill for his age 27 and age 28 seasons at an average of less than $6 million a season. That makes his second season essentially another contract year. Seattle can then keep Hill, opt out of the contract or use their leverage to renegotiate the deal. The Seahawks hold all the cards.

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

6 months ago: Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu, left, takes part in a drill with Seahawks assistant defensive line coach Mike Phair on the first day of an NFL football mini-camp Friday, May 1, 2009, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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I don't yet attend Seahawks minicamp, and if I did, I still wouldn't know what to write about. I figure it's a perfunctory meet and greet that's of use to the team and only interesting to Seahawks completists. You won't find many more loyal or avid fans than I, but I'm not a completist. I may hunt down highlight tapes from the eighties at the local Goodwill, but I don't need to know Matt Hasselbeck's barber. But I couldn't deny everyone this great photography courtesy the AP. That's just cool. Click on the photo to scroll through the rest.

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

Smile, Aaron Curry, you complete the Best Linebacker Corps in Football.

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Update: 710ESPN is reporting the deal is 6yr/$38 million with $15.5 million guaranteed. Given Curry's contract will probably be heavily back-loaded, I assume Seattle will somewhat front-load Hill's contract.

Danny O'neil is reporting Seattle has re-signed Leroy Hill. Contract terms unknown.

First off: Oh hell yeah!

The terms of the contract and and even more importantly, how Seattle chooses to use Hill will ultimately decide if this is a good move or a bad ass move. In a pure Tampa 2 role, strictly working the short zone and blowing up running plays, this is a good or at least fairly good signing. I suspect Hill will show more playing over the receiver and tackling after the pass than he did actually covering the receiver. It's still not his strong suit, and it leaves him one-half a below average linebacker. As a run stopper, though, Hill more than makes up for that deficit. He's deadly on the wings, able to explode the sweep or screen, and though he's not great at shedding a lead blocker and tackling on his own, in Seattle's stack and gang-tackle system, he's very effective exploding the lead blocker into the hole and enabling his teammates to get the tackle.

Seattle isn't going pure Tampa 2, or so I am to believe. I'm not sure what the West Coast Defense is, but we have some clues. It will involve multiple and likely dynamic and dependent looks out of its front four. It will often work from a 4-3 over. Which looks a bit like this:

With the strongside linebacker (presumably Aaron Curry) playing over the tight end. As an aside, I've started breaking down some tape of Aaron Curry, and let me tell you he punishes tight ends off the snap. Hill could blitz from the weakside or drop into a short zone.

The former is the key to maximizing Hill's value. Hill is a blitzing linebacker, all the way back to his days at Clemson. He counted coup on opposing quarterbacks 16 times in his final two seasons. He has the quickness and clean lines to burst through a hole, the feet to do it through traffic, and the power to pulverize would-be pass blockers or piston the quarterback into the earth.

Aaron Curry is not a blitzing linebacker. He may yet develop, but early indication is that among a broad-base of top skills, pass rushing is one where he's just good. That's okay, because Seattle finally has a chance to turn some of that sudden pressure into picks, and with Curry, pick six. Hill's cover skills are then easily covered, either by  blitzing him or benching him on third downs. Should they do the latter, and they will no doubt occasionally do the latter, Seahawks fans will instantly appreciate the sea change improvement from the Jennings-Wilson-Hill-Tatupu-Trufant nickel packages of last year to the Lucas-Wilson-Curry-Tatupu-Trufant nickel packages of 2009. Don't be surprised if third down defense is the story of 2009. And if Jim Mora and Gus Bradley use Hill right, don't be surprised is Seattle's "best linebacker corps in football" and most talented linebacker corps in football, becomes the Best Linebacker Corps in Football.

In summation, this is a great capper to a great week for the front office, but the full value of this signing is yet determined.

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

In this picture Deon Grant represents Owen Schmitt's starting job, running away from him.

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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.

Don't be surprised if Sanchez goes fourth to Seattle. Half of the Seahawks' front office is in town. -Sam Farmer LA Times

I would be very surprised.

As Mike Sando points out, Seattle leads the league in USC alumni. Seattle could populate half the city of LA with suits and still have no true interest in Sanchez. Given their draft position and MO, I would say Seattle drafting Sanchez is downright unlikely. Here are five players Seattle could have watched.

Cary Harris CB

It's funny for someone so fast to be thought so slow. And I'm not talking relative to the entire population; Harris has some of the best foot speed in his class.

It's getting to that deep speed that makes Davis looks slow. Which creates a semi-paradox. Scouts see Davis as an effective zone corner. Zone coverage would, at least one would guess, depend more on short area quickness than deep speed. The kind Malcolm Jenkins has, but Davis doesn't. Davis must have excellent awareness and reaction time. And he has deep speed, so he can recover on deep routes. What then is the problem?

Davis is the classic long-strider, and where I think he'll struggle is in and out of cuts. That's significant, because that means he'll struggle in man coverage, short routes and long routes. So, don't put him in man coverage. Harris's awareness, ball skills, open field tackling ability and long speed make him a fit for a variety of zones. Seattle ran some kind of dime defense on one out of five plays. Utility defensive back and dime back Jordan Babineaux participated in 35% of all snaps. Babs looked okay in the reduced role, but Seattle could upgrade. Significantly upgrading your defense on a third of all snaps, many of those snaps in high leverage situations, is part of how a good defense becomes great.

Kyle Moore DE

Beware the lesser members of great teams. Moore played a lot of 3-4 end, and though he led the Trojans in sacks, not all sacks are made the same. I'm not fond of Seattle selecting Moore in the fourth, but should he slip to the fifth, given his mix of size, strength, and athleticism, he could make him an Ellis Wyms/Cory Redding type situational defensive lineman. I don't see the burst off the snap or the need, but should he slide into the fifth, I can see the value.

Kaluka Maiava and Kevin Ellison LB

Seattle could add to their linebacker depth by targeting either of the two. Ellison reminds me of Cato June.

Patrick Turner WR

Turner is a project receiver with good upside. His footwork pops off the screen. His height, 6'5", and ability to box out defenders, make him a legitimate red zone threat. If Turner sags too deep into the second day, Seattle could scoop him up and throw him on the pile.

Per O'Neil at the Times

Laury signed to a one-year contract. Contract terms for Lewis remains undisclosed.

Tim Ruskell has been busy today.

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Peter King at Sports Illustrated is reporting that the Hawks have traded Julian Peterson to the Detroit Lions for Cory Redding and a 5th round pick. This news comes on the heels of the report that Peterson was unwilling to take a paycut. We'll have to see how this affects the cap situation, but:

Redding, 28, entering the third year of a seven-year, $49 million deal, finished last season on injured reserve with knee and groin injuries. He'll immediately bolster one of Seattle's weaknesses -- a low-pressure defensive line -- made worse by the loss of defensive tackle Rocky Bernard to the Giants in free-agency this month.

Ruskell recoups his 5th rounder from the Colbert trade, shores up the interior defensive line, and leaves a pretty large gap at linebacker.

Eric Williams at Seahawks Insider has the scoop. With the release of Kevin Shaffer on Thursday, Womack will likely play on the right side of Cleveland's O-line. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Late edit: Confirmation from Farnsworth at the PI

So long, Porkchop.