So the cat is out of the bag and every Seahawk fan with a pulse has to be edging their ass to their seat tip about this News. That's right News. As WAB pointed out in his diary, tough guy and soon to be ex-Charger Kris Dielman has been rumored Seattle bound.
Fans and scouts agree that the guy is a ferocious blocker. He's a converted tight end, and though his technique is a little rough, he has the agility to pull and block into the second level. That his technique is less than excellent is one of those odd things that's bad, but also, maybe, good. At 26 and having never played on the offensive line until entering the NFL he certainly has room to improve his technique, and if he's already this good, imagine what he could become.
It's no mystery that the Hawks desperately need to add a guard after a season of O-Line instability and plummeting rushing numbers. For the Hawks this would be WIN-WIN. Dielman, 26, is a perfect age for an NFL lineman, just entering his prime. The move would allow Rob Sims to take over right guard, where he would excel. With Dielman, Sims, Chris Spencer, Sean Locklear and the Franchise, Seattle would not only have the best offensive line in football, but one comprised of a sure HOFer and four guys under 27.
But then, how reliable is this rumor?
Not very. John Czarnecki, who likes to call himself the Czar for some inexplicable reason, couches the rumor in another dig at Seattle for losing Steve Hutchinson. As if to further discredit his own statement he ends with this quote.
Speaking of free-agency, Dielman, Bengals guard Eric Steinbach and Arizona tackle Leonard Davis could hit a gold-mine of riches when free agency signings begin next Friday, March 2. Davis reportedly may have a $12 signing bonus offer from some unnamed team. The Cleveland Browns may be competing with Seattle for Dielman and Steinbach.
Or, in other words: Every team with a need at LG will be competing for Dielman and Steinbach. You think? Take your pick, this either boils down to a "slow news day" or football tautology, 200 words to say the Hawks may sign Dielman because they need a left guard. Well, the Hawks may sign Dielman, the Browns may sign Dielman, the Dolphins may sign Dielman, the Cowboys won't likely sign Dielman, but they may sign Dielman--they might just sign Chewbacca if he fires Drew Rosenhaus. In the spectrum of truthiness this is somewhere way below news and couple notches higher than some fanboy's ALL CAPITAL scribbling on Sando's message board.
The whole article is rampant with speculation. He connects Randy Moss with the New England Patriots and Willis McGahee with the New York Jets. That's what this article is, a giant, baseless, what-if. That's not a dig at Czarnecki, he's just doing his job and people eat this stuff up. With an expanded salary cap, the NFL is getting a taste of the free agent free-for-all Major League Baseball experiences every year. For now, though, speculation that Dielman will sign with the Hawks is the football equivalent of Man-Ram to the Mariners, it's not impossible; it would be awesome if it happens, but just writing it doesn't make it any more likely.