Danny's Early offseason everything thread (updated)

[Danny Darko]

The bad news: We suck!

The good news: We joined this board to discuss this kind of decision making. I can tell you from the Laker board, that having a video game type stacked team is relatively boring to post about, so let's here you're plan to right the ship.

I'm gonna go with a fairly comprehensive nuke job, but feel free to do anything from sit on your thumbs with minor tweaks to blow it up and micromanage.

[Danny Darko]

Step one in Darko's regime: Axe Tim Ruskell, Gus Bradley, and Greg Knapp.

Tim, you are a nice guy, but you eat the blame here.
Gus, you take an axe because on paper the Defense is better than this. right or wrong and I think we have too many rookies on the coaching staff to handle a struggling team.
Greg, what have you done for me lately? or ever... I hate your zone blocking even if it does take time.

Jim Mora- you are safe only because I don't want to look like we are the next Redskins looking to shoot coaches down left and right until we hire a QB coach in desperation because quality guys are scared of Darth owner.

New GM interviews: Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert(assistant GM of Philly).
I don't trust young guns so directors of scouting don't work for me, I would love to lure a Bill Cowher, but I only do this if I can justify giving Mora the boot.

New GM: Heckert if I can get him. Why- I actually like Mike's drafts after alot of debate, but I worry that he would be a shadow over any coach we have in place. Heckert has practical experience and has been part of a successful franchise.

I won't name new Coordinators because A- those guys often come from other teams that let them out of contracts, and B- I just plain don't know who'd I'd want yet, but I do know what I want:

I want 3-4 defensive coordinator. We have stacked our linebacker depth and I'm not sold on our rush with a stout 4-3 line over the last few years. This might be one of my bigger stretches and I know this requires we go get a big mean nose tackle, but who knew Hawthorne was this legit? We also have DD Lewis, Lance Laury, and will Herring to utilize. The bottom line that sells me on 3-4- QB pressure and short pass coverage. Years now we have bitched that our pass rush sucks despite the speed we have. Unleash Curry, Hawthorne, and Hill and let Lofa make good reads.

Player Personnel direction:

In the upcoming draft I think we would need two beg barrow or steal two things(we need more but this isn't madden) In no particular order-

1-A legit tackle, preferably left. I don't trust Locklear as a LT move him back to the right. (more on the line later)

2-either a super quality 2ndary player, a Nose Tackle for the 3-4, or a QB. I think you have to draft for quality and not need to a point, but for me you can wiggle into one of those three areas of need in the 1st round this year.

In the later rounds look to find a worthy gamble in the 2ndary and something stout for the D line.

The only positions I feel good about is LB, TE, and WR, so take a look at free agency to fill a couple major holes that need immediate veteran leadership and talent.

Emphasize the 2ndary In this regard, I am totally done with tiny speed demons. The WR's are bigger these days. I'm sick of seeing other teams leap over our midgets.
Emphasize the O-line not the RB's Denver was good for a long time with a million seemingly great RB's who were really just decent back running behind a blockade. The O-line needs to stay consistent to build chemistry, but they also need studs.
QB of the future? Tough one. Draft picks are gambles, Free Agents aren't always easy to come by. For me it depends on who's available in our first round, followed by next years FA pool. I can't yet say exactly what direction to go.

[Danny Darko]

So Wave II is my scouting take on the draft. Some of you have paid way better attention to college than I have, but I've been watching games to scout some guys and going through every mock and online scouting out there on some key positions.

First off Offensive Linemen:

1. Russell Okung
6'5" 300 OT
Let's be honest. Unless we're trading up (we shouldn't for an OT in this draft), we are not getting him.
He's a dominating pancake/knockdown blocker and he excels vs big name opponent, seemingly getting up for any challenge. That being said, we're not getting him, so next...

2. Trent Williams
6'5" 318 OT
Pretty good athlete with good hands. He's strong and pretty quick and has a high ceiling for growth.
He has been plugged in as a RT in many peoples minds, and has spent a good amount of play time there during the last few seasons. You never really know if a Sooner OT is that good or whether he's a product of the system.

I avoid him if I'm the Seahawks. He might really be more of a RT and I believe Lock is much better on the right and what we need is a true LT.

3. Bryon Bulaga
6' 6" 315 OT
Brute strength with good balance. Missed some games with a mystery illness, but seems to be the late riser for OT's. He's got a mean streak on the field and is a team spokesman to the media off the field. The biggest thing I've seen on the tapes is that speedy guys can go around him with a quick First step. Not unusual for a big LT not named Walter Jones. Intriguing prospect.

4. Charles Brown
6'5" 290 OT
Mostly a pass blocker. A little light in the pocket for the run game, but accordingly agile. Lanky build makes him a finesse blocker true to his tight end roots.

I'd rather get him early second round frankly. I'm just not a fan of converts or finesse blocking.

5. Ciron Black
6'5" 325ish
Agile for his size and can pull in space. Very durable. Has fallen a bit due to questions about his consistency. Admittedly, I know less about Ciron than most OT's. I think the combine will change his stock one way or the other, but I personally don't love combine warriors.

6. Bruce Campbell
6'7" 310
Big guy, but could probably use 15lbs of muscle to blow people up at the point of attack. A bit injury plagued by turf toe and a torn MCL, but MCL is a better in injury to sustain than some other knee problems. For a guy this big it looks like he's treading water on film. I don't see him destroying even small DE when he gets his hands on them and that concerns me.

Most Mocks currently have us grabbing Bulaga or Williams. Brute Brains vs Frustrating Glimpses of Greatness. Bulaga is more NFL ready right now, but Williams could be a pro bowler if he gets consistent. I go with the steadier guy right now and like Bulaga's mean streak alot.

A few of these guys just might slip and make it worth while to wait them out and take a lesser LT while scoring another position earlier. We know OT is going to be a focus for this draft, though, and almost assuredly 1st round unless something like Eric Berry followed by a shot at Spiller happens.

[Danny Darko]

If I'm a GM for the Seahawks I don't trade up using Draft picks unless they are our later rounders (4th or below). I would love to move Branch (of course) or some other serviceable but unneeded guy to get high enough for the following players though so long as they are still around at pick 5 or below. I don't think this is likely, but just for the sake of dreaming-


1-Eric Berry Safety. I think he'll go lower than his talent would suggest and I think he'd do us alot of good. Do enough research on this guy and you'll wonder if he should go in the top 3, but just might go 5-9.

2-Jake Locker. If he slides past the Rams and Browns it might be nice to bring in a local product and let him marinate behind Hass.

[Sweezo]

Step one in Darko's regime: Axe Tim Ruskell, Gus Bradley, and Greg Knapp.

Tim, you are a nice guy, but you eat the blame here.
Gus, you take an axe because on paper the Defense is better than this. right or wrong and I think we have too many rookies on the coaching staff to handle a struggling team.
Greg, what have you done for me lately? or ever... I hate your zone blocking even if it does take time.

Jim Mora- you are safe only because I don't want to look like we are the next Redskins looking to shoot coaches down left and right until we hire a QB coach in desperation because quality guys are scared of Darth owner.

Ha...on the coaching staff, the only ones I would have any interest in keeping are the assistants since they seem to run the show.

Honestly, I have no problem with the job the defense coaches are doing...the defense has played pretty well this year. Their bad moments seem to coincide with the offense sputtering and the defense being forced to play more than they should.

As for Knapp, for the most part I think he calls a good game. He's stuck with a collection of misfits on the OL, and an aging QB whose arm doesn't seem to be at full strength and loves checking down to his FB/RB. It's a personnel issue, not a coaching issue.

I wouldn't be heart broken if one of the coaches lost his job but I don't think they are doing a bad job.

New GM interviews: Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert(assistant GM of Philly).
I don't trust young guns so directors of scouting don't work for me, I would love to lure a Bill Cowher, but I only do this if I can justify giving Mora the boot.

New GM: Heckert if I can get him. Why- I actually like Mike's drafts after alot of debate, but I worry that he would be a shadow over any coach we have in place. Heckert has practical experience and has been part of a successful franchise.

I don't know enough about anyone who's not a known quantity [e.g Holmgren, Shanahan, Cowher] to have an opinion. I just know I think Holmgren didn't do a great job...he gambled too much on people of questionable character and couldn't draft a defense player to save his life. Why would we settle on someone who we know has those tendencies? Why wouldn't we try to find a GM who can draft adequately on both sides of the ball?

I want 3-4 defensive coordinator. We have stacked our linebacker depth and I'm not sold on our rush with a stout 4-3 line over the last few years. This might be one of my bigger stretches and I know this requires we go get a big mean nose tackle, but who knew Hawthorne was this legit? We also have DD Lewis, Lance Laury, and will Herring to utilize. The bottom line that sells me on 3-4- QB pressure and short pass coverage. Years now we have bitched that our pass rush sucks despite the speed we have. Unleash Curry, Hawthorne, and Hill and let Lofa make good reads.

Looking at our personnel, which do we seem closer to having: An effective 3-4, or a 4-3? I don't think we have the linemen to do a 3-4. Mebane's our best DT and he's a man without a position on the 3-4. If you go 3-4...I presume Reed and Tapp get looks as OLB?

Defensively, I think replacing Kerney with a viable pass rusher is paramount. Really, if you kept the defense the same and just made that one change...I think it would make a tremendous

1-A legit tackle, preferably left. I don't trust Locklear as a LT move him back to the right. (more on the line later)

Definitely. I'd even go so far as to say which LT we draft will define the career of our next GM.

2-either a super quality 2ndary player, a Nose Tackle for the 3-4, or a QB. I think you have to draft for quality and not need to a point, but for me you can wiggle into one of those three areas of need in the 1st round this year.

This is one strike against the 3-4...we have other needs, and I don't think we want to create more needs.

In the later rounds look to find a worthy gamble in the 2ndary and something stout for the D line.

The only positions I feel good about is LB, TE, and WR, so take a look at free agency to fill a couple major holes that need immediate veteran leadership and talent.

Emphasize the 2ndary In this regard, I am totally done with tiny speed demons. The WR's are bigger these days. I'm sick of seeing other teams leap over our midgets.

Wilson's actually been a beast. A complete game changer. The only member of the secondary who has disappointed me is Trufant, who lives on P.I. penalties. Babineaux today is a much better, more active safety than he was at the beginning of the season...I think he's growing into the position. He doesn't embarass himself in coverage or against the run, is a good blitzer, and is capable of making big plays.

Emphasize the O-line not the RB's Denver was good for a long time with a million seemingly great RB's who were really just decent back running behind a blockade. The O-line needs to stay consistent to build chemistry, but they also need studs.

I don't think the line's far off from being pretty good. It's all about the LT. Locklear's a good RT, Unger looks solid, Spencer is underrated. It's all about drafting that LT and then getting quality depth...

QB of the future? Tough one. Draft picks are gambles, Free Agents aren't always easy to come by. For me it depends on who's available in our first round, followed by next years FA pool. I can't yet say exactly what direction to go.

I keep changing my mind on who to draft at QB...for the WCO, I think Claussen is still a pretty good fit. Locker will take awhile to develop, but he won't be around for us when we draft anyway.

[Danny Darko]

Yeah, you know reading this again, I've changed my mind on alot-

3-4: you are totally right, we create a need and also make 11+ guys learn a new system....

Coaching Staff: I was shocked to see that we have actually risen more than 10 spots this year in Defensive rankings, so Gus is looking much better, but I'd still like to see more pressure, of course.

Greg- Hmmm I like his play calling, but I'm still not into the zone blocking.

2ndary- I still like Babs as a nickel and I still think we need a safety upgrade. You have a good point about Tru and I wonder if he could could be leveraged in a trade for any number of more useful things.

QB- After hearing Holmgren speak on what he'd do to replace Hass I full agree with his assessment: give Hass a short extension and go find a QB in any round but 1. In round 1 you guarantee too much money and make a promise to the the franchise about something alot of guys don't deliver. The Brady's, Brunells, and many of the better guys are not hero 1st rounders. In that regard... I wish we could see a 3 game stretch of Mike Teal this year, though like Holmgren also said- groom a guy over time while Hass is the man. I think Matt will hold up for a while if we can stop getting him sacked 5 times a game.

I agree with your O-line assessment and reason I made that my first scouting run was because we need a serious cat there. I also think that potential gets coaches and gm's fired, so Bulaga is a better now guy than someone like Trent who might be great, but might piss people off forever, as well.

So what's your take on Mora? i still don't know what to make of him. I know he's still growing as a coach, and I'd like to think we have the right guy, but like you said... aren't the assistants running the show? Is that a bad thing?

[Sweezo]

Coaching Staff: I was shocked to see that we have actually risen more than 10 spots this year in Defensive rankings, so Gus is looking much better, but I'd still like to see more pressure, of course.

I definitely do want more pressure, but that has to fall on the front four. Bradley seems like he can be creative with blitzing, but that's also led to teams finding holes in the zone over the middle.

I think it comes down to replacing Kerney with an effective pass rusher. Kerney's just done. Cole too, if possible, as that would free up the rest of the line...but finding stud DL that can occupy blockers is a bit tricky, especially in free agency.

Greg- Hmmm I like his play calling, but I'm still not into the zone blocking.

It all depends on the personnel. If they keep Knapp around, I think the new GM gets the first chance to really draft with the zone blocking scheme in mind across the board. This past season we seemed like we were trying to go with the prior regime. Unger was a guy drafted to be a great fit in a zone scheme and he's really come along as the season has progressed.

2ndary- I still like Babs as a nickel and I still think we need a safety upgrade. You have a good point about Tru and I wonder if he could could be leveraged in a trade for any number of more useful things.

I think Trufant will be fine with a full season...missing training camp leaves me wondering how much he was able to get in legit game shape this year.

QB- After hearing Holmgren speak on what he'd do to replace Hass I full agree with his assessment: give Hass a short extension and go find a QB in any round but 1. In round 1 you guarantee too much money and make a promise to the the franchise about something alot of guys don't deliver. The Brady's, Brunells, and many of the better guys are not hero 1st rounders. In that regard... I wish we could see a 3 game stretch of Mike Teal this year, though like Holmgren also said- groom a guy over time while Hass is the man. I think Matt will hold up for a while if we can stop getting him sacked 5 times a game.

I don't disagree with that...Hass will have to do in the short term while we groom a young guy.

So what's your take on Mora? i still don't know what to make of him. I know he's still growing as a coach, and I'd like to think we have the right guy, but like you said... aren't the assistants running the show? Is that a bad thing?

Well...what does Mora do exactly? Bradley runs the defense, Knapp runs the offense. He's basically an overseer...I guess in that sense he's been a success since the clubhouse hasn't imploded.

I'm indifferent towards him, but figure since he's hired we might as well give him a chance to succeed.

[Danny Darko]

wikipedia defines zone blocking thus:

"Zone blocking is a technique in American football that is a simple and effective scheme for creating lanes for running plays.

In a zone blocking scheme, fleet-footedness and athletic ability trump size as desirable qualities in offensive linemen. Coordination and technique matter more than muscle in implementing a successful scheme because defensive linemen are often double-teamed at the point of attack. Creating movement on the defensive line is more important than opening a specific hole in the defense."

With this in mind, I doubt Knapp rates Bulaga (I keep wanting to type baluga) as his first or second choice at LT. With this in mind guys like Charles Brown make more sense, but despite being a "fast" lt... he has two massive knee braces(hmmm). Bruce Campbell is supposedly shockingly athletic for 6'7" at 300 lbs and benches 490lbs to boot.

[TTown]

Thank the heavens that I'm not an actual GM of any team you root for; my ideas are typically far-fetched, incompatible with reality, and would drive even the best of professional franchises into the ground within three years. That disclaimer aside, I would...

1. Not draft a QB in this class. I believe I'm on record on this very message board some weeks/months back DEMANDING a QB with one of our two first rounders, but I'm going to backpeddle. I believe we're a couple seasons away from doing anything of significance. Unless his back goes to hell on a regular basis, Hass should suffice for the next two years. We'll have a decent enough draft pick next year to take a QB; he can sit as a rookie, learn, and replace Hass in 2012. There seems to be a lot of buzz around Jason Campbell potentially finding his way to the Northwest, too. Perfect fit? Meh. Not really. But it's something to consider. Seattle has a lot of needs to fill outside of QB.

2. It's already been mentioned, but holy hell, it needs to be said again: offensive line, offensive line, offensive line. If one of the elite OTs are available with our first pick, take him. If there's a decent one available with our second rounder, take him. This area has been flat-out ignored for years.

3. I have a man-crush on Clemson's CJ Spiller. Having Julius Jones start games for us makes me want to cry. I understand the ridiculousness of advocating for a first round pick (Denver's) to be spent on a RB when you have no OL, so I'm not saying... I'm just sayin'.

4. Taylor Mays is a punk bitch who can't cover college receivers, let alone NFL players. There's going to be a lot of buzz in the Seattle media surrounding him because he's a local kid, but STAY AWAY, SEATTLE, STAY AWAY! Tennessee's Eric Berry would be a great addition with our 1st pick, if the elite OL's are already taken. Elite safeties in this league CAN make a difference; Berry will be an elite safety. Deon Grant needs to be taken out to pasture anyway. I would be hard pressed to pass on Berry EVEN if there was an elite OT still on the board by the time we pick. Then again, remember the first paragraph of this post. Our D would be sick, if, y'know, everybody stays healthy one of these years.

5. I don't really pay attention to salary cap issues (I'm a lazy fan). How does Seattle look? Could they sign anyone of significance in the offseason, perhaps an OL (if anyone worthwhile is worth dumping a truck full of money on?)? Taking Berry with our 1st pick, an OL with Denver's, perhaps a dynamic RB-type with our 2nd rounder... then sign an OT in FA? That would be a darn fine influx of talent for 2010. As for farther down in the draft... I have no idea.

[Ex-hippie]

1. Not draft a QB in this class. I believe I'm on record on this very message board some weeks/months back DEMANDING a QB with one of our two first rounders, but I'm going to backpeddle. I believe we're a couple seasons away from doing anything of significance. Unless his back goes to hell on a regular basis, Hass should suffice for the next two years. We'll have a decent enough draft pick next year to take a QB; he can sit as a rookie, learn, and replace Hass in 2012. There seems to be a lot of buzz around Jason Campbell potentially finding his way to the Northwest, too. Perfect fit? Meh. Not really. But it's something to consider. Seattle has a lot of needs to fill outside of QB.

I know that John Morgan over at Field Gulls has been flogging the Campbell idea for some time and has brought it up again recently. To which I say: WTF? The whole knock on Jim Zorn in Washington is that he's been trying to force the west coast offense on a group of players who are ill-suited for it, most notably including Campbell. Campbell has a strong arm and decent mobility but has never shown the quick-read ability you need for this offense. He's known for being cautious and holding onto the ball a long time, which leads to laudably low interception rates but otherwise weak stats, but just isn't what the west coast offense needs. If he comes to Seattle, it will be more of the same for him, which is to say mediocrity.

In the draft, there are supposed to be a good number of quarterbacks who could slide into the second round; I would think about targeting someone there and letting the player compete with Teel for a year or two, really push each other.

2. It's already been mentioned, but holy hell, it needs to be said again: offensive line, offensive line, offensive line. If one of the elite OTs are available with our first pick, take him. If there's a decent one available with our second rounder, take him. This area has been flat-out ignored for years.

I like the idea of Charles Brown. The whole converted tight end thing just sounds like the guy is athletic enough to stand out in the zone blocking system. There is some chance that he rises meteorically in the draft rankings like Jason Smith, I guess, but as of now I see him being available. I'd also like to see the team re-sign Spencer because he's turned out to be pretty decent, and then I think the team has enough there to put together a solid line.

3. I have a man-crush on Clemson's CJ Spiller. Having Julius Jones start games for us makes me want to cry. I understand the ridiculousness of advocating for a first round pick (Denver's) to be spent on a RB when you have no OL, so I'm not saying... I'm just sayin'.

This also figures to be a solid draft for running backs in the first two rounds. I've already advocated taking a LT and taking a QB above, but hey, the team has three picks in the first two rounds, so there you go. Spiller would be nice, though I might prefer a big dude like Jonathan Dwyer or Toby Gerhart (complimenting Forsett).

4. Taylor Mays is a punk bitch who can't cover college receivers, let alone NFL players. There's going to be a lot of buzz in the Seattle media surrounding him because he's a local kid, but STAY AWAY, SEATTLE, STAY AWAY! Tennessee's Eric Berry would be a great addition with our 1st pick, if the elite OL's are already taken. Elite safeties in this league CAN make a difference; Berry will be an elite safety. Deon Grant needs to be taken out to pasture anyway. I would be hard pressed to pass on Berry EVEN if there was an elite OT still on the board by the time we pick. Then again, remember the first paragraph of this post. Our D would be sick, if, y'know, everybody stays healthy one of these years.

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm now out of recommendations for the first two rounds, but if the team decides to go for a safety instead of an offensive player, I hope it's not Mays. I've come to the conclusion that you can't be a good safety if you don't have good cover skills, period. Run support ability is just an added bonus. And the crushing hits of receivers over the middle are good for highlight reels but not for winning football games.

5. I don't really pay attention to salary cap issues (I'm a lazy fan). How does Seattle look? Could they sign anyone of significance in the offseason, perhaps an OL (if anyone worthwhile is worth dumping a truck full of money on?)? Taking Berry with our 1st pick, an OL with Denver's, perhaps a dynamic RB-type with our 2nd rounder... then sign an OT in FA? That would be a darn fine influx of talent for 2010. As for farther down in the draft... I have no idea.

As of right now, things are tight under the cap. But Walter Jones could retire, and the team would be well advised to cut Patrick Kerney, Deion Branch, Deon Grant and Julius Jones. Now we're in business. I know that ditching W.Jones, J.Jones and Branch will save cap space; Kerney and Grant, I'm not so sure (if they had big signing bonuses then some of it could be accelerated and cause a cap hit). And of course there's the chance that the lack of a CBA means an uncapped season in 2010, though I wouldn't break the bank on that basis (eventually the cap will be reinstated and then they'll have to make hard choices).

You can take a look at potential free agents [url=http://www.footballsfuture.com/freeagents.html]here[.url]. First position I looked at was safety and there doesn't appear to be a whole lot there. There are some interesting O-line possibilities, though.

[Ex-hippie]

I've come to the conclusion that you can't be a good safety if you don't have good cover skills, period. Run support ability is just an added bonus. And the crushing hits of receivers over the middle are good for highlight reels but not for winning football games.

And now I'm watching the Raiders-Redskins game (lord knows why) and it's only reinforcing this belief. Looks like the Raiders have figured out how to torch LaRon Landry by isolating him in coverage and it's working like a charm. Taylor Mays seems to be in the mold of Landry and Roy Williams. No thanks.

[Sweezo]

Today's game further demonstrated how poor our DL is...there's just no pass rush, which means pasing teams get to feast on our beleaguered secondary.

I know that John Morgan over at Field Gulls has been flogging the Campbell idea for some time and has brought it up again recently. To which I say: WTF?

Yeah, I don't get that either. Although Hass looks so awful that I don't know if you can count on him to play out the string anymore. The combination of injuries and age has left him looking weak and flustered.

That said, we'd have to bring someone in. I can't stand to watch Seneca. I saw him come in for one play in the part of today's game I watched...and he scrambled right on 3rd down, was walled off by pressure, and ran out of bounds for a five yard loss. A five yard loss. Any QB who isn't stupid knows to throw the ball away when they are out of the pocket instead of eating a loss. He always makes that mistake...just unreal.

I like the idea of Charles Brown. The whole converted tight end thing just sounds like the guy is athletic enough to stand out in the zone blocking system. There is some chance that he rises meteorically in the draft rankings like Jason Smith, I guess, but as of now I see him being available. I'd also like to see the team re-sign Spencer because he's turned out to be pretty decent, and then I think the team has enough there to put together a solid line.

I also think the line has a lot of talent on it...but then I watch today's game, and see Hass getting swarmed the entire game, and my hopes fall again.

I think we need to re-do the left side of the line. The right side is fine if you have Spencer, Unger, and Locklear. But we need an LT and a LG. Watching Sims blow assignments today was a treat.

I might prefer a big dude like Jonathan Dwyer or Toby Gerhart (complimenting Forsett).

I tend to agree. Spiller's a luxury. Fix the offensive line and most of the running game issues should be addressed anyway. But adding a back with size is imperative if you're going to use Forsett.

[Sweezo]

Actually, I'm going to switch onto the 'Fire Mora' bandwagon...this stuff drives me nuts:

A frustrated Seahawks head coach Jim Mora called out the offensive line after his team’s 34-7 loss to the Texans, stating that there could potentially be changes at all five positions next week.

+++++

“I’m not happy at all with the way our offensive line is playing,” Mora said. “And we’re going to take an extremely hard look at that in the next two days, and I can’t promise you that they’re wont be changes. If there are changes to be made, we’ll make them even at this late stage of the season.”

Mora specifically pointed to the struggles of center Chris Spencer and seemed to question the legitimacy of his injury. Spencer played with an injured right thumb and has been snapping left-handed for the last month. The Seahawks had three fumbled snaps against Houston.

“We’ve got a center that’s trying to snap with his left hand because he’s got a cast on his right hand,” Mora said. “He’s had that on for what seems like forever. I’m not quite sure why he still has a cast on his hand – but he does. That is a factor.

“We see it affecting our shotgun snaps, affecting a lot of our running plays – the timing on offense has to be crisp and when you can’t get the snap to the quarterback you’ve got no chance in getting a successful play.”

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/2009/12/13/mora-press-conference-offensive-line-put-on-notice/#more-1663

Seriously? You've got a player playing hurt and trying to re-learn his position on the fly...so under the bus he goes.

Mare misses a couple field goals? Under the bus with you too, pal.

The players don't seem to be playing all that hard for him as is. And comments like this probably aren't going to make them want to fight for him to keep his job.

[Danny Darko]

1st off re: Mora-- WTF? Seriously a broken bone is 6-8 weeks, as far as I know Spencer's thumb is probably around 4 weeks now. Calling out the legitimacy of a cast is insulting, not motivating. If he's going to panic and throw people under the bus, I think it's grounds to look into the superstar class of available Coaches regardless of perception that we bailed on a coach early.

2nd: Running backs- alot of mocks have Jahvid Best available at our 2nd round pick... too small? IDK... it would be two small backs, but then again... who cares if they're effective.

3rd: as previously sated I'm against a 1st round QB for the reasons Holmgren listed. I also think that Mike Teal has the potential to be a sweet QB with some seasoning. I like his touch alot and he can air it out. The thing I didn't like was his panic time decisions and short passing game.

4th-If Eric Berry is available to us we take him regardless of what OT is available.... strictly speaking I think he's about the most talented guy in the draft. Even at Safety you don't pass on him unless Suh is magically available. I don't expect either to be there, though. Mays... screams bust, but would you grab him with the bronco pick if our first pick was an LT?

[Sweezo]

1st off re: Mora-- WTF? Seriously a broken bone is 6-8 weeks, as far as I know Spencer's thumb is probably around 4 weeks now. Calling out the legitimacy of a cast is insulting, not motivating. If he's going to panic and throw people under the bus, I think it's grounds to look into the superstar class of available Coaches regardless of perception that we bailed on a coach early.

And I don't see how you can call Spencer out. He's out on the playing field with a cast, and snapping with his opposite hand. That's insane. A skill he's been working on for years with one hand he is now doing with the other in an attempt to contribute.

Wasn't this the same thing that got Mora in trouble in Atlanta? Being too close to the players when the team was winning, and then putting his foot in his mouth when the team was struggling?

4th-If Eric Berry is available to us we take him regardless of what OT is available.... strictly speaking I think he's about the most talented guy in the draft. Even at Safety you don't pass on him unless Suh is magically available. I don't expect either to be there, though. Mays... screams bust, but would you grab him with the bronco pick if our first pick was an LT?

I am hesitant to do this...but yet, I am also fully aware of the impact Bob Sanders and Troy Polamalu have on their teams when healthy. So if the next GM comes away convinced Berry can have a similar impact...have at it. Although we still have to upgrade our pass rush on the DL...adding a good safety means very little if you give the QB 5 seconds to throw the ball.

[Danny Darko]

I think we have to take a best talent in the draft approach, though I know safety isn't sexy.

Random thoughts: I've been watching other teams matchups and records much closer since we knew we were toast

Tonight's monday night matchup between the Cards and 49'ers has me with mixed feelings.... on the one hand we share a record with SF so it would be good for them to win(for our pick) and on the other hand if they lose it could be better because it might bump the Cards into a place that would make the Bronco pick much better. On that train of thought:

We'll beat TB, and might beat Tenn.. though I hope Young can prevent that (sad i know)

The Bills and Panthers both play all league leaders to finish out and probably won't win again.
Raiders and Bears have a single win-able game left imo (cleveland/detroit)
49'ers have two games they will be favored in and could pull out a Cardinal win tonight.

Broncos have two gimme's and the Eagles to play.

My prediction for our final draft spots:

Our pick- 10
Bronco pick- 22

[Danny Darko]

NFL updated logos

[Billy]

LMAO, the Bucs logo is great.

That Mora quote makes me sick. He should be glad that Spencer is out there attempting to contribute. Also, isn't it on him, the coach, to make a decision about Spencer's effectiveness? If Mora doesn't like what he does, put someone else in there. It's not like Spencer is holding a gun to his head. In the meantime maybe Mora should refocus on coaching and put his PhD away.

[Danny Darko]

SI did a 2009 NFL draft redone to be more fitting. I don't necessarily agree with all their re-picks, but I do think it points out how much of a gamble the first round is.

Look at who likely would have not been picked first round knowing what we know now:

First-round picks who did not make the cut this time: No. 2 Jason Smith, Rams, OT; No. 3 Tyson Jackson, Chiefs, DE; No. 6 Andre Smith, Bengals, OT; No. 7 Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders, WR; No. 8 Eugene Monroe, Jaguars, OT; No. 11 Aaron Maybin, Bills, DE; No. 16 Larry English, Chargers, LB; No. 18 Robert Ayers, Broncos, DE-LB; No. 21 Alex Mack, Browns, C; No. 24 Peria Jerry, Falcons, DT; No. 27 Donald Brown, Colts, RB; No. 28 Eric Wood, Bills, G-C; No. 32 Evander Hood, Steelers, DT.

check it out: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/12/15/redraft/index.html?xid=cnnbin

[Ex-hippie]

SI did a 2009 NFL draft redone to be more fitting. I don't necessarily agree with all their re-picks, but I do think it points out how much of a gamble the first round is.

Look at who likely would have not been picked first round knowing what we know now:

First-round picks who did not make the cut this time: No. 2 Jason Smith, Rams, OT; No. 3 Tyson Jackson, Chiefs, DE; No. 6 Andre Smith, Bengals, OT; No. 7 Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders, WR; No. 8 Eugene Monroe, Jaguars, OT; No. 11 Aaron Maybin, Bills, DE; No. 16 Larry English, Chargers, LB; No. 18 Robert Ayers, Broncos, DE-LB; No. 21 Alex Mack, Browns, C; No. 24 Peria Jerry, Falcons, DT; No. 27 Donald Brown, Colts, RB; No. 28 Eric Wood, Bills, G-C; No. 32 Evander Hood, Steelers, DT.

check it out: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/12/15/redraft/index.html?xid=cnnbin

Is this supposed to be what teams would do if the draft were held today, or what they should do if it were held today? 'Cause we all know that, regardless of what they should do, the Raiders are still taking DHB.

Had no idea that Jason Smith's stock had fallen that far. I'm inclined to think they're overreacting to information from less than one full season.

It's depressing to think that the 2009 draft is shaping up to be legendary for its linebacker production, no thanks at all to Curry. But the guy still has great talent and I'm not ready to give up (again, we've had less than one full season).