Seattle Seahawks news, rumors, links, info, interviews, analysis, and more! Goddamn it feels good to be back, doesn't it? Here's a bunch of stuff from around the league - I can't even keep up.
Five Seahawks That I Like, and That You Should Like Too. - SB Nation Seattle: I don't like it when professional athletes try to be 'entertainers.' However, there are some pretty entertaining players on the Seahawks and I like them because they're not trying to be. They just are. Here's why.
Teams with some work to do to get under the salary cap - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports: This year, though, with the new collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap is back, and it's lower than it was in 2009. Consequently, there are a few teams in a little bit of salary cap trouble. Via ESPN's John Clayton, here are those teams, and the amount by which they're over the cap.
Hawks free agent shopping list | Seahawks Insider: The wait for football appears to be over, with players on Monday reportedly scheduled to vote in favor of accepting a proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement approved by owners last week. The Seahawks could begin talking to their own free agents about contracts and sign undrafted rookie free agents on Wednesday, and then go after other players around the league once free agency officially opens, tentatively scheduled for Saturday.
Quintin Mikell, Steve Breaston and Dawan Landry among best NFL free agent bargains - ESPN: 2. Jacob Ford Jacob Ford #78 DE Tennessee Titans 2010 STATS Tot 42 Solo 31 Ast 11 FF 1 Sack 3.0 Int 0 A former Football Outsiders Top Prospect, Ford's numbers have been artificially depressed by Washburn's constant shuffling and rotations along the defensive line. Ford isn't a difference-maker against the run, but he has accumulated 15.5 sacks and 28 hurries despite starting just eight games over the past three years. Coming off his worst season, the market for his services will be slower than it should be. It's worth pondering how high his ceiling would be if Washburn couldn't mold him into a starter in three years, but Ford could be a significant addition to a number of teams looking for an edge rusher, even if it's only as a third-down contributor. The best-case scenario? His career looks a lot like Charles Johnson's up to this point, and once Johnson managed to get in the starting lineup, he made opposing quarterbacks pay.
Free Agency 2011 - The Race for Sidney Rice | ProFootballFocus.com: 4. Seattle Seahawks Why it will happen: There’s plenty of money in Seattle and there seems to be a feeling a vertical threat is what they need. They have the big possession receiver but could use someone to keep defenses fearful of the deep ball. Rice is that guy and Seattle won’t be scared of paying him. New offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has plenty of familiarity with Rice. Why it won’t: The Seahawks have nothing in the short term or long term currently at quarterback. Just look at Steve Smith in Carolina last year to see how frustrating that can be. Does Rice want to put himself in that position?
At last, a deal to end the NFL lockout | National Football Post: With labor peace now in place, the months of turmoil and labor pains between NFL Owners and Players have unofficially ended. Although I keep receiving the question: "which side won?" it’s important to note that each party has achieved substantial gains. Here’s an overview of what each side received.
NFL.com news: NFL timeline: Pinpointing how next few days will play out: For the past few months, football fans have had many questions. Over the next few days, they will begin to get their answers. Using the NFL's timeline for football operations, let's try to put some perspective on what's to come in this abbreviated walk-up to the 2011 season.
Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Five Personnel Decisions That Will Define 2011 Seahawks: We are mere hours away from the 2011 NFL off-season officially kicking off. The CBA terms have been agreed to by both owners and the NFLPA, and free agency, trades, waiver claims all imminent. Seahawks fans have been debating a variety of personnel moves for the last few months, and for good reason. Despite the enjoyable ride to the playoffs last year, nobody doubts this is a team in transition. Pete Carroll and John Schneider inherited quite possibly the worst roster in the NFL last season, and got glowing reviews for the talent they added and their ability to maximize the talent they had. They face a far tougher task this off-season with raised expectations and almost as dire a situation in terms of talent on the roster. The team has $39M in cap room. How they spend it will play a major role in determining the next few years of the franchise and the success of Carroll's tenure. Here are five key decisions that will shape where that money gets spent, and what kind of team the Seahawks become:
Take 2 | Seahawks free-agent priorities | Seattle Times Newspaper: The lockout is ending, which means the intrigue is only beginning. What can you expect from the Seahawks once free-agency spending starts? Let's break down the priorities once the league opens for business.
On Seahawks' QB and Rams' cap space - NFC West Blog - ESPN: Clayton: I think the Seattle Seahawks are leaning toward signing Tarvaris Jackson as their starting quarterback and possibly not re-signing Matt Hasselbeck. My take: I've heard the same rumblings. It's important for the Seahawks to prepare for life after Hasselbeck. Quality of life also matters. Transitioning from Hasselbeck to Jackson is a tough, nearly impossible sell in Seattle. Hasselbeck's résumé features three Pro Bowls, one Super Bowl and a phenomenal performance against New Orleans in the playoffs last season. Yes, Hasselbeck has struggled overall in recent seasons. He has the NFL's lowest passer rating among 19 quarterbacks with at least 35 starts over the last three seasons. Still, would Jackson, Charlie Whitehurst or any other mid-level quarterback have fared appreciably better under the circumstances? The Seahawks' roster has fallen apart around Hasselbeck. The line has been in shambles. The roster and line remain in transition. A nearly 36-year-old quarterback arguably doesn't fit the Seahawks' situation very well. Jackson and Whitehurst have superior mobility. Jackson knows the passing game coordinator Darrell Bevell is bringing to Seattle from Minnesota. He has a 10-10 starting record, including 8-4 as the Vikings' primary starter in 2007. Seattle needs to explore the future at quarterback sometime soon. This could be the year.
Seahawks' back-to-work FYI - NFC West Blog - ESPN: Biggest challenge: The Seahawks could have a hard time upgrading their quarterback situation. Matt Hasselbeck appears on his way out, with Minnesota's Tarvaris Jackson as a possible addition via free agency, according to ESPN's John Clayton. Charlie Whitehurst is unproven. Kevin Kolb could be too expensive for Seattle's tastes in terms of trade compensation and contract demands. I don't get the sense the Seahawks are all that concerned. They're building for the long term. My sense is that Carroll doesn't value quarterbacks the way he might if his background were on offense. Still, addressing the position is important. The task presents challenges.
NFC West free-agency breakdown - NFC West Blog - ESPN: Seattle Seahawks 1. Sign or acquire a quarterback: Bringing back Hasselbeck remains an option. The team expressed interest in Kolb last offseason. The team could also add a lower-profile veteran to the mix -- perhaps a Matt Leinart type -- for an open competition with Charlie Whitehurst. That would not excite Seattle fans, of course. Getting a young quarterback to build around would be ideal, but the Seahawks are adamant they will not force the situation in the absence of viable options. They weren't going to do it in the draft, when they passed over Andy Dalton for tackle James Carpenter. They probably aren't going to do it in free agency, either.
Rule hits Hasselbeck, Smith, possibly Kolb - NFC West Blog - ESPN: The new NFL labor agreement will not let players without contracts for 2011 practice before Aug. 4 upon signing new deals. As a result, hundreds of pending free agents will have to wait even longer before getting on the field following the four-month lockout. This will affect NFC West teams seeking quarterbacks, even if one of those quarterbacks is acquired via trade. Let's take the case of Kevin Kolb as an example. He could practice with his new team before Aug. 4 only if he reported under terms of his existing contract. Re-working that contract -- something the acquiring team would want to do -- would prevent Kolb from practicing before Aug. 4.
Mac's Football Blog: 2011 Year-One NFL Rookie Allocation Numbers: The 2011 "Year-One Rookie Allocations" for each of the 32 NFL teams have been tabulated.
The "Year-One Rookie Allocation" is each team's proportional share of the Year-One Rookie Compensation Pool, calculated based upon the number, round, and position of the Club's draft choices plus one-third of the Undrafted Rookie Reservation, signing bonuses that are capped at $75,000 per team.
FP - Seahawks Playoff Win Over Saints: Just in case you care, here are a few things I took away from the Saints offense v. Seahawks defense in that playoff game last year.
NFL.com news: Players approve deal unanimously, pass vote to Brady plaintiffs: Now it can be said with certainty: Get ready for some football! NFL players voted to OK a final deal Monday, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and the sides finally managed to put an end to the 4½-month lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history.
7/25: What's next for the Seahawks - Blog - MyNorthwest.com: Now that the NFL's lockout has officially come to an end, here's a look at what lies ahead this week for the Seahawks.
The timeline given to Executive Committee and player representatives | ProFootballTalk: Everyone has a timeline, so we decided we should get one, too. We got ours from a pretty good source. It’s the actual hard copy that was presented this morning to the NFLPA* Executive Committee and board of player representatives for consideration.
17 Power, A Seattle Seahawks Blog: Lockout Hangover: Seattle's Offensive Free Agents: I'm back. Nothing keeping me down now. Our beloved Seahawks are going to get talked about again, and I'm gonna be part of it. I hope you'll be around to enjoy my bizarre blather and participate in the discussion, as we charge headfirst into the craziest NFL free agency likely to be witnessed in our lifetimes. Adam Schefter is reporting that free agency will return Friday. Contrary to earlier reports, Seattle's free agents will hit the market at the same time as everyone else. Still, they're as good a re-entry point as any.
Thirty Acre Fortress - A Seahawks Blog: Free Agency - A 5-step Process: The CBA will be signed off on by all parties this afternoon (YES!), which means starting tonight, teams can start negotiations with their existing free agents (or, more realistically, can finish negotiations with their existing free agents...). Tomorrow, negotiations can start with everyone else -- including trades, UFAs, RFAs, and UDFAs. Camps are reported to be starting as early as Wednesday, but I think that's probably a miscommunication... Players will start reporting on Wednesday and practicing on Saturday, more likely. The Seahawks have about 25 free agents. Training camp rosters are going to be 90 strong this year, which, by my calculations, means they got some work ahead of them. Let's fill out the 90, shall we?
HeraldNet.com - Seahawks blog: Lockout over, what does it mean for the Seahawks?: UPDATE: right after posting what you'll read below, the NFLPA executive committee unanimously approved the CBA, so it looks like this pesky little lockout thing is over. Good times. While it's not quite a done deal yet, all signs point to the NFL lockout finally coming to an end today. According to profootballtalk.com and others, teams will be able to start negotiating with free agents as soon as tomorrow, but won't be able to sign free agents until Friday. Also, the Seahawks are expected to report Wednesday.
2011 NFL Training Camp Start Dates: Seattle Seahawks Set To Open Camp On Wednesday - SB Nation Seattle: With the NFL lockout all but over, the focus shifts to training camps and free agency. Here is the training camp schedule, with the Seahawks set to open theirs on Wednesday.
With lockout ending, what are Seahawks top priorities? | Seattle Seahawks & NFL News - seattlepi.com: Seattle Seahawks & NFL News Seattle Seahawks news, including Seattle Seahawks trades, statistics, roster and draft news, Hawks and NFL rumors, game scores and game schedule information " Report: NFL owners, players reach agreement on new CBA | Main | With lockout ending, what are Seahawks top priorities? Share 1 Let’s get back to this football business, shall we? With the lockout officially over and the NFL ready to begin a breakneck pace of trades and free-agent signings this week, let’s take a look at the most pressing needs of the Seattle Seahawks as free agency and training camp approaches.
The CBA in a nutshell | ProFootballTalk: We have an agreement. Finally. So what’s in it? We know a lot about the new collective bargaining agreement and how it will shape the NFL for the next decade. We’ll learn even more in the coming hours as we get a chance to read the fine print.
NFL.com news: Back to football: Let the madness begin: Finally, after over three months with little to do besides watch tape and hope for the lockout to end, decision-makers around the league are getting back to work. And, oh, the work there is to be done. Suddenly, the business of football is under way again, but instead of the long, orderly offseason schedule general managers are accustomed to, now the NFL calendar is jumbled. The to-do lists are overwhelming. New rules of operation must be mastered. Training camp details ironed out. Wide swaths of rosters remain vacant, and every hour is of the essence, with clubs trying to cram what could normally be done over weeks into hectic days.
NFL.com news: #Footballisback: Players post reactions on Twitter: As news of a labor agreement between the NFL and its players spread, numerous players shared their reactions via their Twitter accounts.
Sources: Latest NFL timeline starts Tuesday - ESPN: Free-agent and trade negotiations may begin Tuesday and transactions can be filed with the league office Friday at 6 p.m. ET, according to an updated timeline for league business to begin, sources told ESPN.com's John Clayton. A source at the highest-level had earlier told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that those talks might begin as soon as Monday afternoon and the league year would have begun Aug. 2, if the NFL Players Association signed off on it. The updated timeline from league sources:
NFL.com news: Immediate aftermath of a new labor agreement will be crazy: By all accounts, the painstaking NFL lockout will be lifted Monday with the ratification by both the league and players of a new collective bargaining agreement. As much toil, acrimony and angst as this process has caused, once pen is put to paper and the 10-year deal is done, the process of it all will be history. The next phase -- the phase of actual football -- will (finally) be the rage. Instead of conjecture on potential trades, which team is acquiring which free agent and what rookies will earn starting roster spots, we will have answers. Let's take a look at what's in store for what could be one of the most historic (and hectic) weeks in NFL history:
NFL.com news: Immediate aftermath of a new labor agreement will be crazy: By all accounts, the painstaking NFL lockout will be lifted Monday with the ratification by both the league and players of a new collective bargaining agreement. As much toil, acrimony and angst as this process has caused, once pen is put to paper and the 10-year deal is done, the process of it all will be history. The next phase -- the phase of actual football -- will (finally) be the rage. Instead of conjecture on potential trades, which team is acquiring which free agent and what rookies will earn starting roster spots, we will have answers. Let's take a look at what's in store for what could be one of the most historic (and hectic) weeks in NFL history:
Undrafted Free Agent Scouting Report: OT David Mims, Virginia Union - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports: We went into the guys we see as the best UDFAs on offense and defense, but I wanted to add a couple more detailed scouting reports. This one is on Virginia Union offensive tackle David Mims, who has the size and strength to do things in the NFL. Of course, the difficulty in scouting players from very small schools is in isolating skill sets and setting aside the fact that their competition is rarely top-notch. In addition, position coaches are often pulling double- or triple-duty, which means that these players aren't always up on the fine points of their positions. Mims has some of these issues, but he should be intriguing to many teams looking to stock the right side offensive line with a project power tackle.