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?