Housh, Gibbs … and other huge red flags

Posted by DHarp75 on September 4, 2010 under PartyHawks Central | Be the First to Comment

So Mr. and Mrs. PartyHawk spend a few days in the hospital welcoming in the newest PartyHawk to the world, and all hell breaks loose while we’re gone.

Anyone who has asked me about Pete Carroll has received a standard “cautiously optimistic” response. As for GM John Schneider — never been a big fan, and the moves he and Carroll are continuing to make are enough to make even the most diehard Seahawk supporter extremely anxious.

On Saturday alone, the team released WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and watched venerable offensive line coach Alex Gibbs resign.

Releasing T.J. insinuates he continued to be an issue off the field – at least we hope so, because otherwise it is the second mind-numbing move of the week (trading starting cornerback Josh Wilson for a fifth-round pick boggles the friggin’ mind). Housh is due $7 million this season, and Seattle will still have to pay him whatever his new team doesn’t. So, assume his new team signs Housh for the veteran minimum – Seattle is on the hook for the rest. And it leaves three-time NFL loser Mike Williams as a starter and unproven Deon Butler and Golden Tate with very significant roles.

Losing Gibbs might be the biggest red flag yet. He was brought in to teach the zone-blocking scheme, and departs eight days before the start of the season. Unless there’s something health related we don’t know about, Gibbs either didn’t believe in the direction Seattle is going or clashed with those in the front office – both of which are very disturbing options. He was the lone hire during the offseason that we felt really good about. Now even that silver lining has left the building.

The trade for Eagles offensive lineman Stacy Andrews was a decent move to patchwork a potentially frightening tackle situation if Russell Okung isn’t ready for the regular-season opener, especially after Ray Willis was placed on injured reserve.

All of these items are worth of their own blog post or three – but since we’re on the two-hour feeding rotation schedule with the newborn, we’ll leave off with this 10,000-foot view for now.

Housh, Deion return to practice

Posted by DHarp75 on June 24, 2010 under PartyHawks Central | Be the First to Comment

The Hawks are installing a new offense, so it was good to see WRs T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch back on the practice field as the offseason program winded down this week. T.J. had sports hernia surgery, while Branch underwent another knee procedure.

They both got in two days of work before the team shut things down for six weeks leading up to training camp.

“It’s just great to see these guys back in,” coach Pete Carroll said, “so we have a feel for them.”

T.J. and Deion are the team’s top two receivers, but the offense still lacks a dynamic, playmaking threat. Golden Tate was drafted to be that weapon, but the only playmaking he’s done so far was a 3 a.m. post pattern through the back door of Top Pot doughnuts.

Scrub Watch: Will Tukuafu

Posted by DHarp75 on June 9, 2010 under PartyHawks Central | Be the First to Comment

Golden Tate helped keep a really slow time in the offseason entertaining with his 3 a.m. capers at Top Pot doughnuts this week. On the field, the team is rolling through some of its final workouts before breaking until training camp.

But the Seahawks, who have the highest percentage of turnover in the NFL this offseason, continue to tinker with the 80-man roster. The latest addition is former Oregon DL Will Tukuafu. At 6-3 and 266 pounds, he’s light for an interior lineman and was a second-team all-Pac-10 choice in a conference that doesn’t play much defense.

So he’s essentially another body with a pulse who might not even make it to training camp if he doesn’t make a big impression the next few days. But in the interest of following all things Hawks, we figured we’d tell you about Tukuafu, who finished 2009 with 4.5 sacks.