The above is passed along from Doug Farrar, who just finished interviewing Aaron Curry. This makes sense for a three reasons I can think of.

1. Seattle must appear to be interested in every available top ten prospect. Don't be fooled for a second into thinking Seattle isn't interested in trading down. It must be interested, because should the situation be right and multiple players Seattle values approximately the same are still on the board at four, it would be foolish for Seattle not to. If any trading partner thinks it's safe that Seattle won't draft any player, Seattle loses leverage.

2. Julian Peterson's salary averages $8 million from 2010 through 2012. Peterson may age gracefully, but that's a lot to pay any 34 year old linebacker.

3. The team has yet to commit to a long term deal with Leroy Hill. Negotiations have dragged on. Seattle may be attempting to gain leverage or are simply preparing themselves should they not be able to sign Hill.

Personally, I hope it's "1". Curry, however spectacular, is not a huge net improvement over Seattle's existing talent and will cost more in total resources (cap space and draft pick) than Peterson or Hill. Nevertheless, move Curry back into the "possible" bracket.

One year deal, no other terms disclosed. Rex Ryan thinks Green gives the Jets versatility, because of Green's ability to play nose tackle. He doesn't and he can't. Green was regularly worked playing the less demanding one-tech in a 4-3. I remember talk about how Green was a single-gap playmaker who had been passed around the league because he is seen as a two gap plugger. I understand a 30 year old journeyman's need to eat, but it seems Green is again putting himself in a position to fail. Something about six-one guys pushing 350, coaches see run plugger no matter their actual ability. Green has one fit in this league, and that's as a 3-tech in a Jim Bates-style old school, wall of defensive tackles system. Kind of a Tim Bowens type. The kind of muscle in the middle that made Zach Thomas a star. Green could play alongside an even bigger, and much stouter player. Like an early career Gilbert Brown or Grady Jackson. That system is quickly fading, and the player that could once excel in it, like Green, is being mismatched to much more demanding 3-4 schemes.

Seattle has signed former Lion, Buc, Saint, Brown, Dolphin and Bear tight end John Owens. On the offensive side of the ball, Owens is all block no receive. Owens is built like slimmed down defensive tackle, and functionally isn't much different than an extra offensive tackle. Greg Knapp, like Mike Holmgren before him, doesn't use two-tight end sets very often. Owens won't see the field too much, but when he does, it'll probably be in high leverage situations: goal line, and third and fourth and short.

Owens spent three weeks on the injury report last season. He has the kind of physical style, squatty build, variety of injuries, age and lack of overall athleticism that makes me think he's a favorite to land on the IR. Of course, what do I know? I just spent twenty minutes wrestling with a joke that's punch line reads: veld, ship, firmament, Cleveland, ocean and mountain.

Program this into your Google spell check Seahawks fans: Houshmandzadeh and the alternate spelling HOUSHMANDZADEH!! Seattle has landed the marquee free agent wide receiver and for only ridiculously too much money! When intestine twisting, brain damage inducing, freakin'-third-world-GDP money seemed so likely. That's a lot of skrill as   would say. The deal is for 5 years, $40 million with $15 million guaranteed. Extending his contract and overall dollar amount, but in practical terms, undercutting his desired salary. I don't know the exact terms, but I'd bet that it's a masterpiece of a contract. Figure, Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Jones come off the books in 2011, freeing up about $19 million in space. Seattle gives Houshmandzadeh a decent sized signing bonus, a fair salary the next two seasons, and then a monster roster bonus in 2011. The cap hit gets spread to accommodate Seattle's needs, the team is never really pinched, and after 2011, Houshmandzadeh's age 34 season, he's off the books.

By then he's going to be an excellent slot receiver in the Bobby Engram mold. Until then, Houshmandzadeh is the kind of sometimes explosive, difficult to cover, almost transcendent possession receiver a team can build a passing attack around. Expect immediate returns in Seattle's ability to convert third and medium/long. Expect to suddenly understand how bad Nate Burleson was. But know this is extremely exciting, but not worth a damn unless Seattle fixes its pass protection, starting at tackle (adios Ray Willis), and starts a starter caliber quarterback. Housh is a great target for a healthy Matt Hasselbeck. A great mid-range threat that's reliable and where he's supposed to be. We know how the Objectivist despises the weak and undisciplined, preferring the hard certainty of a sack to fuzzy routes of Courtney Taylor.

Signing Houshmadzadeh is a bridge from now to Seattle's next window. It could be the bridge that allows Seattle to make an improbable run behind a resurgent Hasselbeck. It could be the bridge that softens the landing for a young quarterback. Whichever, it's a good move, for too much money, but only money and not draft picks, that won't save the franchise, doesn't mortgage the future, but will make Sundays a whole lot more excellent.

The National Football Post is throwing its hat into the rumor monger ring, and since rumors are news in the first few days of free agency, let's tackle this little tidbit.

Free agent defensive tackle Colin Cole is in Seattle for a visit with the Seahawks, according to sources close to the situation.  Cole had 30 tackles for the Packers last season and has appeared in 54 games over the past four seasons for Green Bay.

Seattle had a chance to see Cole first hand when the Packers crushed the Seahawks at Qwest. Green Bay defended run all game, rushing its linebackers to the line at the snap, and Seattle's rushing offense sputtered, rushing for only five non-quarterback first downs and 83 non-quarterback rushing yards. The score isn't so lopsided, but the game was.

Maybe that tricked Seattle into seeing Cole as something more than they already have. Cole isn't. Scouting Green Bay before the above mentioned beat down, I observed:

With Ryan Pickett down with a knee injury, Colin Cole has seen considerable time at left defensive tackle. Cole aspires to the quickness of Howard Green and the stoutness of Craig Terrill. He's a true last available talent on a team that didn't see itself so thin at the position, but has been torn down by injury.

. . .

Cole looks a little like Howard Green: Short, stout and too easily blocked.

Cole was the weakest link on the weak link of an otherwise playoff bound team. He might not cost much, but these are the contracts that chip away from the budget and keep teams out of the running for real talent.

I can't tell you if Seattle will sign Jon Stinchcomb, but I can tell you if Seattle should sign Jon Stinchcomb.

Stinchcomb has a few obvious connections to Seattle. Born in Atlanta, Stinchcomb played college at Georgia in the SEC conference. His older brother Matt and former Seahawks flameout David Greene are partners in a financial firm. One could start a Stinchcomb to Seattle rumor based on just that.

He was selected in the second round of the 2003 draft by the New Orleans Saints. Stinchcomb will be 30 for the majority of the 2009 season. That's a decent age for an offensive lineman. Stinchcomb is white, so expect to read that he's a "technician". Stinchcomb does do a lot of little things well like cut block and support block. He's consistently assignment correct and is stingy with penalties. He has been penalized for just ten false starts and zero holds over his five year career. Whether he's really more technically sound than say Stacy Andrews depends a bit on the technique.

A better way to describe Stinchcomb is that his hands and upper body do the work. His hand fighting skills are excellent, and he knows how to torque and contort his torso to generate power in even awkward postures. He has good feet, but is not agile and struggles quite a bit against edge rushers. His feet make him look quicker than he is, and he pulls swiftly into the second level and delivers a good block on the move. But moving laterally is not Stinchcomb's strength. Since he doesn't mirror slide well, Stinchcomb instead must maintain good inside position and attempt to bury off balance edge rushers. It works against some. Better, more rounded pass rushers like Aaron Kampman combine speed skills with good balance and hand fighting technique. Stinchcomb struggles against ends like Kampman and though he doesn't allow a ton of sacks, he does allow a ton of pressures. Drew Brees gets the ball out. A late-career Matt Hasselbeck might just curl in a ball.

Stinchcomb is a good run blocker. He's thick, powerful, powerful on the move and a true pancake blocker*. He'll blow open a hole on the first level, seal inside, dominate a linebacker on the second level, brush himself off and do it all again next snap. If Greg Knapp is serious about reaching or exceeding a 50% run split, Stinchcomb is a very good addition and a big upgrade to Seattle's run blocking. Watching him cut, pull and dominate on the second level, it's easy to see how he fits in a zone blocking system. Stinchcomb could make an excellent left guard, too.

Seattle should sign Stinchcomb if the price is right. Due to pigmentary differences, you won't read Stinchcomb compared to Ray Willis, but there are obvious similarities. Both are powerful. Willis is more athletic and agile; Stinchcomb a better hand fighter. Both are toast against the edge rush. Willis can't recover; Stinchcomb can still bury a guy who gets a jump on his outside shoulder. If Willis develops, he can be a better Stinchcomb. He has better overall athleticism, better leg drive and moves better laterally. If he develops is always a risk, one I think Seattle is in position to take, and one I think Seattle should take. If it doesn't, Seattle can sign Stinchcomb and get eight tenths the finished model.

* An ability that gets a ton of run around draft time and yet seldom translates to the NFL.

Update: Confirmation.

That claim found here. [Edit: Link is now dead, but the quote is legit.]

Here's the basics:

Bradley is a fast rising star. He spent one season with Tampa as defensive quality coach before being promoted to linebackers coach in 2007. He has ten years of college coaching experience. He's more rookie than retread.

Bradley hails from the home of the Tampa 2, but is not as steeped in it as Marinelli. Bradley's starting linebackers produced three sacks over two seasons. So if you're hoping for the wild and woolly wackiness of Jim Johnson, well...Bradley prefers to pressure with the front four and though I'm not sure Seattle will go straight Tampa 2, this is a definite move towards a Tampa 2.

Those three sacks came courtesy Barrett Ruud. The second round pick out of Nebraska is printed across the top of Bradley's résumé. Ruud has become one of the best, most well rounded middle linebackers in the NFL.

Bradley is not Rod Marinelli.

Few more facts and comments:

Bradley played free safety at North Dakota State. Yes, free safety. Which is either fantastic news for fans or fantastic news for Brian Russell.

As defensive coordinator at NDS, Bradley ran a variant of the Tampa 2. I think it's safe to say this is what Tim Ruskell wants. I'm curious and a bit frightened to see how he executes it.

One of the hallmarks of Tampa's resurgent defense is gap control. Bradley, teach our linebackers gap control.

Words you see associated with Bradley: classy, innovative, hard working, energetic, excellence.

Sounds like a real good hire and the type of new blood I've longed for in Seattle.

I have a lot of respect for Tim Ruskell. Don't read too much into this.

Ruskell sat down with the beat reporters last season and of the eleven bullet points posted on Seahawks Insider, the following were untrue when said or proved untrue.

Ruskell does not anticipate either cutting Shaun Alexander of asking him to restructure his contract.

Jeff Robinson's career as a long snapper is over.

The only pick the Seahawks do not have this year is a fifth-rounder, which was given away for Pearman. Ruskell said he also anticipates getting a compensatory pick, which should be distributed at the end of March, beginning of April.

Ruskell said he anticipates taking an offensive tackle in the draft because this draft is so deep.

Essentially, he talked about the stuff he could: Players likely to leave in free agency (the next day, Josh Brown signed with the Rams) restricted free agents offered contracts, and internal minutia.

Ruskell isn't in a position to be perfectly honest. He can't say who's in or out. Asking him if Matt Hasselbeck is the team's quarterback in 2009 is pointless. As is asking seven questions, each slightly rephrased, about if he thinks Seattle is really 4-12 bad. There's no room for honesty. Ruskell can't lay his cards down about Hasselbeck and certainly can't say his team is bottom rung bad. He can't say he thinks the team can't compete next season.

I've read all seven thousands or so words of that interview a few times, and not to be dismissive, but don't feel any more informed about what Seattle plans to do this offseason than I did before.

Did I miss something?