Posted by DHarp75 on August 11, 2010 under PartyHawks Central | 
Charlie Whitehurst might not have a legitimate shot at unseating Matt Hasselbeck during training camp – unless he gets a little help from his teammates. The Seahawks’ starting quarterback got tangled in the middle of one of several scuffles at practice Tuesday.
It’s good to see they’re working hard enough to be at their wit’s end. But you never want to see the guy in the red jersey – and the one that holds any hope of helping your team reach mediocrity this season – getting caught in the middle of a fracass involving a pair of 300-pounders.
Posted by DHarp75 on August 6, 2010 under PartyHawks Central |
Russell Okung and his agent tested everyone's patience, but he's finally under contract.
The Seahawks have concerns all over the field. But primary among them is protecting QB
Matt Hasselbeck, because if he goes down then the wheels will come off the wagon of a roster that will struggle as it is to be competitive week in and week out.
So there was definitely growing concern when LT Russell Okung missed eight practices as a holdout, even though the five players selected in from of him and the two directly behind him had already signed their rookie deals. In the NFL, it’s more or less a slotting system, so there shouldn’t have been so much haggling at that point.
Most likely, it was poor advice from an agent looking to squeeze out a few more dollars in guaranteed money. But the deal finally got done Friday, with Okung getting nearly $30 million in guaranteed money. Seriously, what they heck were they debating about for the past three days … whether he’d get $29 million or $31 million guaranteed? At the end of the day, he can buy any house he wants in several states and outfit it with a complete staff.
Rant aside, it was important to get Okung under contract before the holdout leaked into a second week and he became in true danger of missing important on-field work and potentially a training camp game.
Welcome to Seattle, Russell. It was a an auspicious debut, so let’s hope you put your head down and get to work.
Posted by DHarp75 on June 24, 2010 under PartyHawks Central |
Vincent Jackson would add the vertical threat the Hawks' passing game desperately needs.
The offseason of the great tease continues, as Kevin Acee from the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Seattle called to ask about WR
Vincent Jackson,
but the Chargers weren’t interested in listening to offers.
It’s a shame, because Jackson would be exactly what the Hawks need – a big, physical downfield presence in the passing game. And he wants out of San Diego because he isn’t anywhere close to agreeing to a long-term deal. In fact, he’s threatening to sit out the first 10 games of the season. The Chargers appear ready to call his bluff, or just welcome him back in Week 11, when Jackson has to report to the team in order to get the minimum six games required to accrue a season toward free agency.
Right now Seattle has a slew of possession receivers, but no proven weapons who can stretch the field and prevent safeties from sitting on the short- and medium-range passing game. If I’m Matt Hasselbeck, I’d fork over some of my salary to get a threat like Jackson in the fold. If not, he’s a sitting duck for aggressive pass rushes again.
Posted by DHarp75 on May 19, 2010 under PartyHawks Central |
With J.P. Losman officially signing with the Hawks on Wednesday, the team dumped its second quarterback in as many days by waiving 2009 sixth-round pick Mike Teel.
Teel landed a low draft slot last year by rallying Rutgers to a strong finish as a senior, but was never considered an elite prospect likely to hold down a starting job in the NFL. Now, he hasn’t managed to hold down so much as a roster spot. He’ll get another shot in someone’s training camp, but Seattle now has a very interesting trio with Losman, a former first-round pick, backing up Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst.
Posted by DHarp75 on May 18, 2010 under PartyHawks Central |
J.P. Losman is a former first-round pick and a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the 'Hawks.
second stint with the Seahawks lasted exactly two weeks. The record-setting former Central Washington stud clearly didn’t impress the new coaching staff during minicamp, and the Hawks dumped Reilly in favor of former first-round pick
J.P. Losman.
Adding Losman is an intriguing move. After flaming out with the Buffalo Bills, he played for Las Vegas in the first season of the UFL last year. Once that season concluded, he caught on with the Raiders for a few games to close out the year.
Losman has a huge arm. He just doesn’t read defenses well and has never been terribly accurate … two fairly important aspects to keeping a starting job in the NFL. But he did hook up routinely with speedster Lee Evans in Buffalo, and is a better fit in a vertical passing game.
Mike Teel should now be seriously concerned about his roster spot. While Reilly wasn’t much of a threat – at least any more of one than Teel is himself – Losman is a big-armed former first-round pick who could easily catch the eye of Pete Carroll & Co. and earn the No. 3 job behind Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst.
This is a signing worth watching. Losman has the physical tools to succeed in the NFL, and if he has matured and learned how to play the position better, this could be a quiet mid-May move that pans out very well in 2010. If the Hawks and/or Hasselbeck struggle badly out of the gate, don’t be surprised if it’s the Whitehurst and Losman show by November.
On a side note, WR Marcus Maxwell was also signed Tuesday.
