Seattle Seahawks news, rumors, links, info, interviews, analysis, and more! Happy Sunday Twelves!
Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Ken Whisenhunt on Kevin Kolb Trade: "As far as getting a quarterback and getting back to football, yeah I’m pretty pumped.": The Arizona Cardinals have finally accomplished their number one goal this offseason. They have landed their starting quarterback. But it comes at quite a cost. The Cards gave up a second round pick in 2012 and former Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to pry Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles. Not to mention, Arizona also gave Kolb a brand new contract. He will get a five year deal worth just under 64 million dollars. That seems like a whole lot to give up for a relatively unproven quarterback that has spent almost all of his career as a backup right? Wrong.
Asking Tatupu to cut pay worth savings? - NFC West Blog - ESPN: Seeking pay reductions from proud athletes qualifies as one of the more awkward NFL realities. Teams essentially tell players they no longer value their services as they had at some point in the past, but they would still like that player to stick around and give his very best anyway. The St. Louis Rams have done this with left guard Jacob Bell, who might remain with the team anyway.
Market masters: These 10 teams grade out highest in free agency - NFL - Sporting News: 10. Seahawks. How things work out may hinge on Tarvaris Jackson’s play at quarterback. Instead of keeping Matt Hasselbeck, they signed Jackson, who lost his starting job with the Vikings when Brett Favre showed up. New offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell coached Jackson in Minnesota and is convinced he can handle the offense. The Seahawks plucked several other free agents, including wide receiver Sidney Rice, defensive lineman Alan Branch and guard Robert Gallery.
Carroll hands the ball to T-Jack: When Pete Carroll was asked about Tarvaris Jackson’s role after practice Saturday morning, everyone was thinking that the Seahawks coach would say the just-acquired quarterback would compete with Charlie Whitehurst for the starting job. Think again.
Tarvaris Jackson's quick rise to starting role - NFC West Blog - ESPN: Rules prevent Tarvaris Jackson from practicing with his new Seattle Seahawks teammates before Aug. 4. Coach Pete Carroll thinks Jackson needs to be the Seahawks' starting quarterback anyway. Carroll, speaking following the Seahawks' morning practice Saturday, declared Jackson the team's starter out of necessity even though Charlie Whitehurst is the one taking first-team reps while rules prevent Jackson from participating. Carroll cited Jackson's familiarity with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell's offense from their days together in Minnesota as a critical factor under these unusual lockout-induced circumstances.
17 Power, A Seattle Seahawks Blog: Grading Seattle's Free Agency: Offense: Tarvaris Jackson: C+ Signing the former Minnesota backup isn't exactly a coup in and of itself. Despite his tools, starting experience, and spotty handling by Brad Childress, the fact is that Jackson struggled in Minnesota despite being protected by an awesome offense. He's a popular example of how a good team doesn't necessarily elevate a bad QB.
NFLPA a Union Again | National Football Post: The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is back as a union. For the first time since March 11th, the day that the NFLPA decertified in order to pursue litigation against the NFL, it has re-formed itself as a union.
Tarvaris Jackson Could Give Seattle Early Advantage in NFC West… | The Blue Bird Herd: Bet you never thought you’d hear that (see title)… As the free agency period begins to wind down (or wind up) and rosters begin to take shape, the Seahawks’ acquisition of Tarvaris Jackson is looking smarter and smarter. Glancing around the NFC West, Seattle appears to be the only team who’s assumed starting QB enters camp with a thorough knowledge of his playbook and several years of experience playing in the teams current offensive system.
Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: LeRoy Hill May Be Best Linebacker On Seahawks: News broke today that the Seahawks have re-signed linebacker LeRoy Hill to a short-term deal. Hill, you likely recall, was the less heralded part of the linebacker talent infusion from the first Tim Ruskell draft (Lofa Tatupu being the other). Hill had a fantastic rookie campaign, demonstrating a knack for making open-field tackles and getting to the quarterback (7.5 sacks). His numbers never were flashy after that season, but his value was clear enough to earn him the franchise tag just two seasons ago.
Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Understanding Lawyer Milloy's Exit: Number 36 is out on the Seahawks practice field, and there's a hard-hitting strong safety there as well. Neither player, however, is Lawyer Milloy. His absence is confusing to some, expected by others. When I ran an informal Twitter poll a few days ago about whether fans would prefer to have Milloy or Big Play Babs back in the fold, it was a landslide for Milloy. People valued his leadership, big hits, and effectiveness as a blitzer. Milloy wanted to come back as well, so why the split?
A chance for Chancellor? - Blog - MyNorthwest.com: Make me proud bro. It's your time!! #KamBam," tweeted free agent Lawyer Milloy on Thursday. Milloy, who has spent the last two seasons with the Seahawks, has yet to be re-signed to the team and his return is now questionable. Second-year safety Kam Chancellor is the favorite to replace Lawyer Milloy. (AP) Kam Chancellor, AKA "KamBam," the strong safety entering his second season with the team, may very likely be Milloy's replacement.
GM Schneider excited about newest Seahawks - Blog - MyNorthwest.com: Since John Schneider became the Seahawks general manager in 2009 the team has been very aggressive when it comes to changing their roster. This year has been no different, as the Hawks have added high-profile free agents such as wideout Sidney Rice and guard Robert Gallery, while letting franchise quarterback Matt Hasselbeck walk, in just a matter of days. Schneider joined the Kevin Calabro Show on Friday, just moments after re-signing free-agent defensive tackle Brandon Mebane to talk about his team's most recent moves.
The human side of free agency: Sometimes, it’s all about the kids - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports: Especially in this year's rapid-fire transaction schedule, it's all too easy to treat the names as numbers and forget that when players are moving from city to city — sometimes against their preferences — there's a family continuity that's broken. Now, we're not expecting anyone to "feel sorry" for guys earning millions of dollars, especially in this economy, but there are sides to these trades and free agency signings that don't always see the light of day.
A few minutes with Josh Pinkard | Seahawks Insider: Looking for a role At 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, Pinkard seeks to earn a spot on the 53-man roster in crowded group at defensive back. The USC product spent most of last year on the practice squad, but was on the 53-man roster for the New Orleans’ playoff game.
Seahawks.com Blog | The day in pictures: Morning practice ": Check out some images from this morning’s practice, brought to you by Seahawks.com photographer Rod Mar:
Carpenter won’t back down - Seahawks - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports: When James Carpenter showed up at Seahawks headquarters after being drafted in the first round, he told us how much he loves his mother’s macaroni and cheese. When he took the field as a Seahawk for the first time Friday morning, and looked out of breath early, I had to wonder: Just how much mac and cheese has he been eating? It’s logical that the rookies, big linemen in particular, would find it tough to be training-camp ready when the lockout kept them out of the usual minicamps and off-season training activities that would help them ease into their careers.
ProFootballWeekly.com - Seahawks could readdress QB situation in 2012: So who's the best bet to replace Matt Hasselbeck under center in Seattle? Will it be the holdover, Charlie Whitehurst, or the newcomer, Tarvaris Jackson? Regardless of who it is, the consensus among our sources on the scene is that the Seahawks are replacing an older "bridge" QB in Hasselbeck with a much younger temporary fix in either Whitehurst or Jackson. We hear a much longer-term heavy hitter — perhaps Stanford's Andrew Luck, who is quite likely to be the top pick in next year's draft, or maybe disgruntled veteran Carson Palmer, a former signalcaller at USC under Pete Carroll who is currently under contract with Cincinnati — could enter the equation next season.
Jerry Brewer | I'm intrigued: Unconventional Seahawks are sticking to their plan | Seattle Times Newspaper: Those crazy, unconventional and quite possibly brilliant Seahawks are doing it again. They're creating a stir with a flurry of moves that are easy to pick apart individually. But by now, we should know better than to jump to premature conclusions. OK, OK. Truth be told, I should know better.
Free Agency 2011 - Top 51: 20 Remain | ProFootballFocus.com: Maybe it’s the lockout being over, or maybe it’s the frantic nature of it. But this has been one heck of a fun free agency. . So we’ll make a deal with you. You keep reading, we’ll keep writing, and well all get ready for the new NFL season to start. . What I’m going to do now is pretty simple. Way back when it seemed like football was a million miles away (so about two weeks), I wrote a list of my 51 top free agents. Well some of them are gone, but 20 are still left! So I’ll run down what the talking heads have been saying about them, and suggest some possible destinations.
Steve Kelley | Seahawks will miss leadership of veteran safety Lawyer Milloy | Seattle Times Newspaper: Before a team meeting at the opening of training camp last season, 15-year veteran Lawyer Milloy walked over to rookie free safety Earl Thomas and welcomed him to the NFL. That was typical of Milloy, who believed it was his mission to make Thomas feel wanted, while at the same time making sure the Seahawks' prized first-round pick didn't feel as if he'd already made it in the NFL.
Carroll: Mebane, Branch starting DTs | Seahawks Insider: Here’s some more notes from this morning’s presser with Carroll * Carroll said that Brandon Mebane will start at nose tackle and new addition Alan Branch will serve as the team’s 3-tech moving forward. Carroll seemed to indicated that once Colin Cole could be out for awhile. Once Cole is healthy, then both he and Mebane will compete for time at that position, with Mebane having the versatility to slide over to 3-tech. But for now, Mebane and Branch are the starters inside. Carroll said that Branch is an underrated player who performed well against Seattle last season. Branch had five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against the Seahawks up in Seattle last year in the first game, and two tackles in the game down in Arizona. "We’re going to play those two guys inside," Carroll said. "The other aspect that Alan brings is that he brings the length that Red (Bryant) has, so he will back up at five-technique when we need him to."
An interview with Austin Davis (QB, Southern Miss) " Seahawks Draft Blog: During my conversation with Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis, two things became evidently clear. Firstly, that he understands what it will take to get to the next level. Secondly, that he’ll do what it takes to get there. Davis is the most prolific quarterback in Southern Miss history. He holds several school records, including most passing touchdowns (53). That record formerly belonged to Brett Favre.
T-Jack Feels You | Features | Mpls.St.Paul Magazine + mspmag.com: Is the well-armed young quarterback too self-aware to lead the Vikes to the promised land?
First look at Tarvaris | Seahawks Insider: Jackson is 6-2 and does not seem undersized at all. He's got pretty thick arms and chest. He handled himself well in his press conference this morning. He said Darrell Bevell is a very detail-oriented coach, which should make Jackson a detail-oriented quarterback. He responded well to questions about the quarterback competition. He said it didn't matter what the situation was ... he was going to be competing every day anyway.
Seahawks | Meet the Seahawks: Walter Thurmond | Seattle Times Newspaper: Walter Thurmond CB | 5-11 | 190 | Age: 23 | Experience: 2nd year This second year after knee surgery, I feel a lot different. My speed is back. My quickness is back. Everything I didn't have last year is back, pretty much. The first poster I had on my wall? Maybe Randy Moss. I was a receiver in high school. As the recruiting process went on, I started to become a DB, but I modeled my game after Randy Moss, especially for his playmaking ability. My first NFL paycheck went to buy my mom, Kassie, a car, a Jeep truck. The last book I read was "The Secret History of the World" by Mark Boothe.
Dream comes true for Huey | www.kilgorenewsherald.com | Kilgore News Herald: "Michael Huey got so much better last year because he became a dominating run blocker and he continues to get better at pass blocking each year," Brown said on the UT athletic web site on Wednesday, following the announcement that Huey would be headed to Seattle. "I do think Michael is a road grader. He played so well for us last year. It really, really hurt us when he got hurt in the Baylor game because he was starting to dominate inside." The Seahawks, coached by former Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll, play in the NFC West Division, and do come to Cowboys Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 6, a noon kickoff, where Huey is certain to have plenty of family and friends in attendance. Huey, who recently finished up at the University of Texas, had to overcome some odds to get to this point, hence the "Underdog" photo on his cell phone screen. The big offensive lineman, who checked in at 6-foot-6 and 282 pounds on his pro day at UT a couple of months ago, was presented his number, 63, on Thursday and will enter training camp with the team. In workouts Thursday afternoon, Huey played at left guard.
Follow @FieldGulls on Twitter | Like Field Gulls on Facebook